SWANSEA, Ill. (KMOX) - A man is in police custody after fighting four officers in the Metro East. Police shared video of the man injuring himself while sitting in a squad car and violently bashing his head against the shield in front of him.
The Swansea Police Department says the white male suspect was in a vehicle that was pulled over for a traffic violation. There was a loaded pistol methamphetamine and open cannabis inside the vehicle and police discovered a warrant out for the suspect's arrest.
Police say the man tired to fight off and run from four officers after it was discovered that he was previously been charged with eight felonies. He was eventually handcuffed after the struggled which left two female officers and one male officer with injuries.
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"One officer had a large hematoma on her forehead, a swollen hand and bloodied fingers, a second officer had a large cut on her face and a third officer had multiple cuts and abrasions and a huge bruise on his thigh," police said in a Facebook post.
Police say the suspect hit his head "more than 100 times" and then tried to strangle himself by wrapping a seat belt around his neck and "yelling that he wanted to die."
"The officers consistently tried to minimize the force they used but he was hell-bent on escaping then attacking the officers. Although the reason for the initial contact was related to a traffic violation, this is another example of the dangerous encounters officers face when these minor cases uncover nefarious activity involving mind-altering illegal narcotics and firearms," police say.
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