Garden City Officers Beat Up In Fight On The Greenbelt

KTVB reports that last night two Garden City Police Officers were hurt in an altercation that involved a drunk man who was carrying a knife.  The police stated that both officers were called out to the 400 block of East 42nd Street around 6:30 p.m. to break up a fight going on.

Dispatchers received reports of 43-year-old David Erickson refusing to leave the apartment building.  When police arrived, Erickson had left and was found on the Boise River Greenbelt just East of Veteran's Memorial Parkway.  That's when it went down.

Officers stated that Erickson seemed to be intoxicated or on drugs and was carrying a knife.  He was belligerent and would not take any orders or commands from the officers.  An attempt was made to place Erickson in handcuffs and that's when a fight broke out.  Erickson hurt both of the officers but was not able to pull the knife out of his pocket.  When officers finally got him into cuffs Erickson was transported to a local hospital and then shipped over to the Ada County Jail.

Both officers were hurt and treated at local hospitals as well.  Garden City Chief Rick Allen said...

We will not know the extent of their injuries or when they will be cleared to return back to work until they are evaluated by a medical specialist.  This is a scary incident that could have ended tragically. As with every use of force, our department will conduct a thorough review. However, the initial assessment indicates that the officers did a good job attempting to control the situation which potentially prevented the tragedy.”

Erickson will appear in court on Friday with Felony charges of battery on an officer and Misdemeanor charges of resisting and obstructing and trespassing.