A Waterford police officer was punched in the face on Monday night after confronting a driver with a suspended license.
Officers were initially dispatched for car fire that actually ended up being a disabled car that had apparently run out of gas near a highway.
As normal procedure, the officer obtained the driver’s name and ran it through the DMV. The officer could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the car, found out the driver, 28-year-old Irving Gerome Hudson, of Groton, had a suspended license and requested another unit respond to the scene, Lt. Tim Silva, of the Waterford Police Department, said.
Police said Hudson became uncooperative when they searched his car and a fight broke out when officers tried to take him into custody.
Hudson is accused of punching one of the officers twice in the face and police said there was a short struggle on the ground before the driver ran off.
One officer had blood coming from his mouth and face and the other had his pants torn up from rolling around with the suspect on the street, according to Silva.
“He had a couple of marks, he was bleeding from around his gum line and under his neck when I got on scene,” Silva said.
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Silva expects the injured officers will be fine.
Waterford officers were assisted by K-9 units, in addition to other departments, including state police, to help search for Hudson.
“Every time we tightened the perimeter up he would run a different way he ended up crossing the highway two separate times,” Silva said. “Ultimately, he ended in the City of New London, where he ran into an apartment complex where we set up a perimeter.”
Hudson was located and Waterford police arrested at an apartment building on Michael Road in New London.
New London police arrested a woman, identified as 26-year-old Kassi Lee Elston, in the apartment and she was charged with not listening to officer commands and interfering.
“She was definitely trying to hide him but we don’t know what the reasons were,” Silva said.
There was heavy police presence at the apartment complex in New London following the incident. Police from East Lyme, Groton, New London and Waterford had sealed off the perimeter of an apartment building.
Silva said while Hudson ran from police, he lost his shoe and still proceeded to run across the highway and woods, causing a lot of damage to his foot. He was transported to the hospital.
Hudson was charged with two counts of assault on a public safety officer, interfering with an officer, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, disorderly conduct, intentional injury to a K-9, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief. He was held on a $250,000 bond.
Elston was charged with hindering prosecution and interfering with police. She was held on a $5,000 bond.
