Santa Cruz police officer attacked after trying to make an arrest
A man is behind bars after police say he tried to gouge an officer’s eyes out while being arrested.
It all happened in the middle of the roundabout near Pacific Avenue and Center Street in Santa Cruz. Police say the man attempted to pull another man off his motorcycle as he drove down the street. That’s when the Santa Cruz officer stepped in to stop the attacker.
Lt. Escalante of the Santa Cruz Police Department said,”He grabbed the officer in something kind of like a bear hug position and when he had the officer kind of trapped up against his own body, he started to gouge at one of his eyes.”
Escalante told News Channel 5 that’s when the officer broke free and tried to use a Taser on 33 year-old transient Robert Craig, but police say it didn’t work.
Craig ran south on Pacific Avenue and then entered the Monterey Bay Exploration Center.
Other officers arrived in the area to help and again used their Taser on Craig just as he went inside the building. Police say the Monterey Bay Exploration Center’s surveillance cameras captured it all.
Craig has one prior arrest in Santa Cruz– back in November, for possession of meth.
There has been a longstanding debate about re-offenders causing trouble downtown.
Kristen Wallace manages Saint Kris, a store just around the corner from where the chaos happened.
Wallace said,”That does worry me a little bit because that’s just down the street from where we are. And we do deal with our own set of issues with those kinds of people.”
Wallace said one time a transient reached through the store window and stole a boogie board. Wallace said the police handled the situation in the moment, but days later she could see that same person hanging out across the street again.
“I feel like it is getting worse around here and I haven’t noticed any changes,” said Wallace.
No word on when the officer will be back on duty. Santa Cruz Police officials said he’ll need to follow up with an eye specialist.
Santa Cruz police are hoping the man on the motorcycle will come forward to provide a statement.
