By Brianna Taylor
The Sacramento Bee
GALT, Calif. — A man was arrested over the weekend after pulling a Taser holster off an officer’s belt and beating him on top of the head with it, the Galt Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.
About 3 p.m. Saturday, Galt police received a call that Mario Navarro, 31, was asleep in front of a business in the 300 block of South Lincoln Way. He entered the store and caused a disturbance, police said, and later discharged a fire extinguisher outside while “continuing to behave erratically.”
When officers arrived and tried to approach Navarro, he fled on foot, according to the social media post. He was chased into the area of D and Seventh streets.
During the pursuit, Navarro snatched the holster from an officer’s belt and started “striking” the officer repeatedly in the head. A bystander witnessed the altercation and helped detain Navarro “without hesitation.”
“We want to express our deepest gratitude to the courageous community member who risked his own safety to assist with our officer in need,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
Consumes Fire Department transported the officer to a nearby hospital. He didn’t suffer significant injuries and was released Saturday.
Navarro was arrested and booked without bail into the Sacramento County Main Jail. Charges include suspicion of robbery, aggravated battery against a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and resisting an executive officer.
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