Man punches San Rafael officer during arrest, gets tased, shot with foam projectile: PD

(KRON) -- A man accused of being in possession of drug paraphernalia at a San Rafael park Wednesday morning was arrested after a violent confrontation with authorities, according to the San Rafael Police Department (SRPD). The suspect was tased, pepper sprayed, struck with a baton and shot with a “less-than-lethal” projectile after he allegedly punched an officer and continually resisted arrest.

San Rafael officers patrolling Albert Park just before 10 a.m. first observed the suspect in possession of drug paraphernalia and open alcohol containers near the baseball field and a childcare facility, police said. The suspect refused to cooperate while he was detained, SRPD said, and punched an officer during an attempt to arrest him.

Police said they disengaged as the confrontation became violent and began to use deescalation techniques. More officers responded to the scene as the suspect reportedly remained verbally and physically confrontational throughout the deescalation attempts.

The suspect once again began to fight officers during a second move to arrest him, according to SRPD. One officer used a Taser on the suspect, which police said had minimal effect, and then another officer used pepper spray, which again police said had little effect.

Police disengaged to try and gain his cooperation with verbal commands but were ultimately “unsuccessful,” SRPD said. “After several minutes, officers moved in again, and the suspect began to physically fight. An officer struck the suspect with a baton while he was fighting, and it, too, had no effect.”

A less-than-lethal foam projectile was then fired at the suspect and struck him in the lower abdomen. Officers were able to take the man into custody and begin providing first aid, police said. The suspect was transported to an area hospital for medical evaluation and cleared with a minor injury.

The officer who was punched by the suspect was not injured, according to the police department.

“The suspect was booked into the Marin County Jail for assaulting an officer, obstructing and dissuading an officer from carrying out their duties using threats and/or violence, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of narcotics, and possession of an open container in a public park,” SRPD said. “When booked, the suspect still refused to identify himself, and Marin County Jail officials will investigate to determine his identity.”

San Rafael police said all use-of-force incidents go through administrative review to ensure compliance with the law and department policies.