Calera Police Chief: Suspect kicked officer, damaged booking room & bathroom

CALERA, Ala. (WBRC) - Calera Police Chief David Hyche said a driver kicked an officer in the chest, attacked officers and damaged the department’s booking room wall and bathroom Friday night.

Hyche posted information about the incident on Saturday starting with, “While you read this imagine that the officers involved are your family members.”

Hyche said officers responded to a single car accident on I-65. He said the driver was in his vehicle attempting to drive away when officers arrived. The driver appeared impaired and failed a sobriety test, Hyche wrote.

The man was arrested and officers said he immediately became combative. Hyche said the man kicked one of the officers in the chest while being arrested and continued to fight in the car, and when being removed from the patrol car. Hyche said the suspect attacked the officers during booking and damaged the police department’s wall in the booking room and bathroom.

Officers said the man spit at them and was eventually booked and taken to the Shelby County jail wearing a spit shield.

From Chief Hyche: Our officers wear body cameras, our cars have cameras in front and in the back and our booking room is recorded both audio and video. These officers make every effort to avoid conflict and suspects dictate when and how much force we use to make an arrest.

Officers must make instant decisions which are then scrutinized at leisure by their supervisors, both actual and self trained attorneys, the courts and Facebook experts. This particular night shift group is very young and every one of them could make more money working somewhere else where a tough day at work doesn’t include getting cussed, hit, kicked or spit on. I’m extremely proud to be part of Calera and I stand behind our excellent officers, dispatchers and staff.

Felony assault charges pending.

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