Two Hollister residents were arrested for causing injuries to
Hollister police officers while resisting arrest Wednesday
– boosting overtime for healthy officers in a department already
stretched thin from budget cuts and resignations.
Hollister – Two Hollister residents were arrested for causing injuries to Hollister police officers while resisting arrest Wednesday – boosting overtime for healthy officers in a department already stretched thin from budget cuts and resignations.
Jonathan Byers, 49, was arrested for felony vandalism and resisting arrest causing injury, and Eduardo Cadena, 18, and another 14-year-old male juvenile were arrested for fighting in public and resisting arrest causing injury Wednesday morning in separate incidences, according to police spokesman George Ramirez.
Police arrived in the 1000 block of West Street around 12:45am, where Cadena and the 14-year-old were involved were involved in a fight, Ramirez said. While trying to take the 14-year-old into custody, Cadena ran at the officer and punched him in the head, while the 14-year-old punched him in the knee, Ramirez said. The officer wasn’t knocked down and managed to shoot one of the assailants with a Taser, while sheriff’s deputies who also responded, shot the other one with a Taser and took both into custody, Ramirez said. Both Cadena and the 14-year-old have a history of gang ties, Ramirez said.
The officer suffered a large bump and swelling to his head and was treated and released at Hazel Hawkins Hospital, Ramirez said.
Later that morning around 9:30am, Byers called police to tell them he was in the 1900 block of San Felipe Road and about to kill himself, Ramirez said. A couple hours earlier, he had rammed his wife’s car into the garage door, collapsing it and causing serious damage to the car and garage, he said.
When officers arrived to the location on San Felipe Road, Byers had already wove a hose from the exhaust pipe into the cab of his truck and placed black nylon covering over the windows, Ramirez said. After smashing out the window, officers dragged Byers out of the car, and one officer cut his knee during the struggle – sending him to Hazel Hawkins for stitches, Ramirez said.
Byers was eventually shocked into compliance with a Taser and arrested for felony resisting arrest causing injury to an officer and felony vandalism, Ramirez said.
Both officers’ injuries are considered minor and they should be back on patrol in by next week, according to Police Chief Jeff Miller.
Although the injuries aren’t serious, additional injured officers deplete the already short-staffed department to about 22 able-bodied cops available for patrol, Miller said. However, that number can change weekly, he said.
Fewer officers means longer hours – up to 16 and 18 hours at times – and more overtime, he said. Although overtime is mounting, Miller doesn’t believe the department will exceed its $300,000 annual budget, and said the department is running under budget overall.
“We’re struggling to maintain staffing,” he said. “But (the officers) are working very hard and I certainly hope members of the community understand that and offer my officers a kind word for the effort they’re making.”
Cadena is still in custody in lieu of $51,000 bail, and Byers is also a guest of the Flynn Road facility in lieu of $20,000 bail, according to jail personnel.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
em*******@fr***********.com
