On November 4th, around 8:00 a.m., our Community Liaison Deputies were conducting a security check on a property in the 8300 block of Portland Ave. E from which they had recently cleared a homeless encampment. After clearing a large encampment, it’s not uncommon for deputies to return several times to ensure that no new encampments emerge. Deputies spotted a tent set up, and a male and his dog were contacted. Deputies informed the man that he was trespassing. The male gave several fake names and refused to provide his real name. After 20 minutes of negotiating, deputies inform him he is being detained until they can figure out his real name. The man immediately throws his dog at one of the deputies and attempts to flee on foot before slipping and falling to the ground. A long struggle and a taser deployment finally led to getting him in custody.
The 55-year-old male was booked into the Pierce County Jail as John Doe since he could not be identified on scene. He was booked for aggravated assault on a police officer, harassment, resisting arrest, trespassing, and animal cruelty. After a fingerprint scanner was used at the jail to learn his real name, it was confirmed that he had felony warrants out of Arizona and Ohio, and warrants out of Olympia. The dog did not sustain any injuries, animal control took custody of him, and he is now being cared for at the Humane Society.