Thursday, July 22, 2010

Cop punched during traffic stop

By Jennifer Baker • July 22, 2010

MIDDLETOWN – A Middletown police officer was hospitalized after getting into a fist fight with a suspect during a traffic stop Wednesday, police said.

The officer, who was taken to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown, suffered facial injuries including a black eye, police said.

Officer Jason Deaton, 33, has been with the department three years. He is expected to recover.

"He’s hurt, but he’s not dead or anything like that," said Middletown Police Lt. John McGill. "He is hurt and he is going to be looking at some reconstructive surgery. He is going to have to see some specialists about that. These things are pretty traumatic when you get hurt like that. I think he's going to be fine. He's a fine young officer and we all wish him the best."

The altercation was captured on Deaton's cruiser videocamera, McGill noted, so there is plenty of evidence.

The attack occurred after the officer responded to a hit-and-run accident was reported at Grand and South Briel boulevards about 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. In the course of his investigation, Deaton pulled over the vehicle, a blue Ford van, nearby at Central and Aberdeen streets about 4:30 p.m.

He was injured trying to question Eric German, 45, of Middletown. A struggle broke out, and German punched Deaton several times, police said.

At some point during the altercation, the officer deployed his Taser stun gun on German, but the device failed to subdue him.

Another Middletown officer, Malcolm Tipton, responded to the scene and took German into custody.

German faces several charges: felonious assault on a police officer, resisting arrest obstructing official business, failure to drive in marked lanes and fleeing the scene of an accident, according to officials at the Middletown Municipal Jail.

He was booked into the city jail at 5:23 p.m. and held overnight without bond. He is likely to appear Thursday in Middletown Municipal Court.

From: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100722/NEWS010701/307220010/1055/NEWS/Cop-punched-during-traffic-stop

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