A northwest Iowa police officer suffered a broken hand when he was punched multiple times by a man who was hiding in a closet. It happened last Friday night as officers responded to domestic disturbance in Storm Lake. Officers were told one of the suspects in the incident, 19-year-old Erick Gutierrez of Storm Lake, had fled the home.
But when an officer opened a closet door, Gutierrez allegedly charged the officer and swung with both fists, striking the officer 10 to 15 times. The officer, along with a second officer, eventually subdued Gutierrez with a taser.
Both the officer and Gutierrez were taken to the Storm Lake hospital. The officer was treated for a broken hand.
Gutierrez was charged with assault on a law enforcement officer causing injury and interference with official acts causing injury. He was also wanted for failure to appear in court and violation of probation.
By Joel Hermann, KAYL, Storm Lake