3 officers injured after man interferes with arrest of theft suspect at Home Depot
EUGENE, Ore. July 3 2021— Three officers were injured after man interfered with arrest of theft suspect at Home Depot on Seneca Road in Eugene, the Eugene Police Department said.
Around 3 p.m. Thursday, a man was reported to be stealing a number of tools at the store, and officers responding to the call were in pursuit of the suspect.
He was apprehended and identified as 44-year-old Alfredo Viorato-Castellon.
While officers were taking Viorato-Castellon into custody a second individual, later identified as 38-year-old Tanner James Hobensack, began heckling officers and interfering with the arrest, EPD said.
“He then fled and an officer who was in the area looking for the first suspect spotted Hobensack come running northbound by the Verizon store,” police said.
The officer turned on his emergency lights and Hobensack stopped and changed direction as if to avoid the officer, then started yelling towards him prior to actually being contacted, the report stated.
“The officer commanded Hobensack to stop, but he refused and continued walking away at a fast pace,” EPD said. “The officer was able to get in front of Hobsensack, got out of his patrol vehicle and commanded Hobensack to get on the ground.”
According to the report, Hobensack then took a fighting stance before walking away, then shed his backpack.
“The officer tried to get him in the ground, but he stood up and swung at the officer,” EPD said.
During the incident, the officer deployed a taser once, which had no effect and then later applied it a second time, which was effective.
“As Hobensack was on the ground, the officer tried to get control of him, but Hobensack was able to pull out the probes and the officer disengaged as it was near a busy roadway without cover units,” police said. “Hobsensack got to his feet and charged the officer, swinging his fists and advancing, while the officer pushed him away and deployed pepper spray.”
The pepper spray was effective and Hobensack walked away.
A second arriving officer was able to turn around and catch up to Hobensack near Sushi Island on the north side of W. 11th Avenue.
“Hobensack assaulted that officer, continually punching him while the officer was trying to take Hobensack to the ground,” EPD said.
The officer’s ankle was broken during this, the report said, and when an emergency cover unit got to the scene, the officer was on the ground injured. A security guard had tried to intervene during the assault incident.
Three arriving officers were finally able to take Hobensack into custody after further struggling with him, the report said.
Three officers were injured in total: the first officer, the second officer (broken ankle) and one of the officers who took Hobensack into custody.
Hobensack was transported to Lane County Jail on charges of Assault on a Public Safety Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Interfering with Police.
Viorato-Castellon was charged with Theft in the Second Degree and Escape from Custody.
katu
