HOLLISTER
Hollister police arrested a 33-year-old man across from Rancho San Justo Middle School after responding to a report Thursday of a suspicious person and then suspecting he was under the influence of a controlled substance and resisting arrest, according to a press statement from the Hollister Police Department released today.
Police attempted to detain the man at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday and allege that he assaulted one officer and “violently resisted arrest,” according to the statement. One of the officers used a Taser gun on the suspect, but with little effect, the statement reads.
Four more officers responded and after a struggle, police handcuffed the suspect and transported him to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital for evaluation. There, police allege he resisted officers and medical personnel trying to attend to him, according to the release. He was eventually treated for minor injuries and released before being booked into the San Benito County Jail.
One of the officers sustained minor injuries during the struggle and that person was treated and released from the hospital the same day, according to police.
Police also point out they are investigating to see if the man is connected to a reported incident the prior day at Cerra Vista School where a suspicious person approched a student, who reported his presence on campus, according to police.
The statement notes that Rancho students were not harmed or “contacted” by the suspect on Thursday.
Police also note that the first officer to arrive at each incident was one of Hollister’s school beat officers, whose positions are funded through a partnership between the Hollister School District and police department.
Witnesses to the incident are requested to call Officer Carlos Rodriguez at (831) 636-4330.
