Man, 76, charged with assaulting sheriff's deputies

January 15, 2003|by CANDICE BOSELY

HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. - Deputies sent to take two children into custody because they had reportedly been neglected instead found themselves in a confrontation with an older man swinging a broom, court records show.

John Benjamin Bowman, 74, of Butts Mill Road in Hedgesville, was charged with two counts of assault on a police officer and one count of obstructing police, all misdemeanors.

The incident began when Deputy B.J. Dusek and Cpl. W.M. Spessert arrived at Bowman's house Tuesday afternoon to remove two children, ages 5 and 13, from the house, as ordered by the Department of Health and Human Resources.

Bowman became irate and told the deputies they could not enter his home, records show.

After police told Bowman he was under arrest for obstructing police, Bowman refused to put his hands behind his back, records allege.

The officers tried to use a shock from an electric taser to subdue Bowman, but it was ineffective because of Bowman's thick clothing, records show.

After the taser attempt, Bowman allegedly picked up a broom and swung it at the officers. The deputies were able to knock the broom out of Bowman's hands and handcuffed him, records show.

The children were not inside the house and Bowman would not reveal their location, police said.

Bowman was in Eastern Regional Jail Tuesday night on $7,500 bail.

|

|

|