By NATASHA BRENNEMAN
Staff Writer
A Washington County man accused of punching a police officer in April waived his preliminary hearing in the case Tuesday in Clarion County court.
Angelo Rios-Lopez, 20, of Bentleyville, will now be bound over for further proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas.
Rios-Lopez faces a felony count of aggravated assault, misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, and summary charges of purchasing an alcoholic beverage as a minor and public drunkenness.
A criminal complaint filed by Clarion Borough Police Chief William Peck says that on April 21, borough police were dispatched to the intersection of Wood Street and 6th Avenue for reports of a man who was “out of control.”
At the time of the incident, Peck and officer Roger Wright were in the same police vehicle and were able to locate Rios-Lopez in a parking lot near the Clarion fire hall, the complaint said. Police said Rios-Lopez was seen pushing a woman and was trying to get to a second woman, and it appeared both women were in distress.
Wright and Peck left the police car when Rios-Lopez began to charge directly at the officers and swung a closed fist at Wright, according to the complaint. Rios-Lopez swung a second time, the complaint states, and hit Wright in the chest.
Peck tried to deploy his stun gun but couldn’t due to Wright being in close proximity, the complaint said. Wright placed Rios-Lopez in a bear hug and took him to the ground, according to the complaint.
Rios-Lopez began resisting arrest, and the complaint said he had to be forcibly handcuffed by Wright.
Both Peck and Wright gave Rios-Lopez verbal commands to stop resisting which he did not comply with, the complaint said.
When Rios-Lopez was finally taken into custody, Peck observed that he was bleeding from the mouth and eye area, the complaint said.
Clarion County Office of Emergency Services was contacted and Rios-Lopez was taken to the Clarion Hospital emergency room and admitted for medical attention, the complaint stated.
The complaint indicates that Rios-Lopez appeared visibly intoxicated and had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath.
Both Wright and Peck sustained injuries to their knees while trying to take Rios-Lopez into custody, the complaint said.
After clearing the emergency room, Peck interviewed the person who made the initial 911 call. The caller said Rios-Lopez was yelling and swearing at a woman and punching a parking meter and that he threw his wallet at a vehicle traveling on Wood Street.
Rios-Lopez is currently free on $10,000 bail.