A homeless man has been booked for assaulting an officer and resisting arrest during an altercation last Wednesday in Hoquiam.

At 2:50 p.m. last Wednesday, Hoquiam police Sgt. Jeremy Mitchell was patrolling in the area of 7th Street near the bus mall and saw a man lingering in the area. Because of past vehicle prowls in the area Mitchell was keeping an eye on the man. According to police, the man ducked in and out of several locations before running.

Mitchell circled the block, but the man had disappeared. After checking the area, he located the suspect between two buildings in the 500 block of J Street.

Mitchell attempted to detain the man for trespassing near a storage shed in the side yard. Mitchell was able to apply one handcuff before the man began physically resisting. Upon warning that he would be tased, the suspect relented for a moment, but then spun around and punched the officer in the head, police said.

After a struggle, the man ripped the taser from Mitchell’s hand as the sergeant attempted to control him.

Police say that Mitchell continued to try to control the suspect, while the suspect used the taser like a hammer to hit the sergeant in the head.

Mitchell attempted to grab the suspect, but he was able to escape and ran off toward a fence with one handcuff still attached to his arm.

Additional Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Sheriff’s Office and State Patrol units responded to search for the suspect. Grays Harbor Transit was notified and Central School was placed in a lock-down. Despite searching, the suspect was not located.

Mitchell was treated at the scene for abrasions, bumps and bruises to his head, elbows and knees. The sergeant was not familiar with the suspect, but the man did drop his backpack with personal items during the struggle. Hoquiam Police worked that night, checking names, aliases and Facebook pages, to identify the suspect as a 19-year-old Aberdeen transient wanted on outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants.

On Thursday, Feb. 8, Mitchell checked locations where the suspect might hang out, and found him at a residence in the 100 block of Eisenhower Street, where he was arrested without incident.

Police say that the suspect told detectives he was aware of the warrant for his arrest, but denied that he hit the sergeant. The suspect was booked into Grays Harbor County Jail for third-degree assault of a police officer, obstructing and resisting arrest, and for the outstanding felony probation warrant.