Willie Gomer was sprayed with pepper spray and shot by a Taser, but it still took Chief Jeremy Bowers, several officers and a security guard to get him out of the police car and take him into custody, according to a police post Saturday on Facebook.
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Officers responded at 4:23 p.m. Friday to a report of an unconscious man in Ace Hardware at 1221 Grand Ave. Witnesses said a man had randomly struck the victim from behind and fled next door into a garden center, police said.
When he was located, the man refused to surrender. Police used pepper spray and a Taser in an attempt to subdue him. He removed the Taser prongs and got away, police said.
The man then forced his way into a residence in the 400 block of Sunny Slope Avenue and threatened the resident, police said.
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The suspect ran out onto Valle Vista Avenue where he confronted Bowers and jumped into his police car in a bid to escape, police said. The two fought in the car and Gomer was removed with the help of other officers and a security guard, police said.
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Gomer was accused of assault with great bodily injury, causing injury to an elder adult, battery with serious bodily injury, battery of a police officer, obstructing a police officer, robbery, burglary, carjacking, possession of a controlled substance and violating parole.
He was on parole for auto theft, robbery, kidnapping and multiple parole violations, police said.
The elderly man was taken to a hospital for treatment. An officer was also injured in the incident and was treated at the hospital and released.