Disorderly suspect allegedly injures Cedar ..

Cedar City • Suspect, 30, also tried to take officer's gun during hospital melee.

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A Cedar City police officer suffered a mild concussion over the weekend after a suspect assaulted him and tried, unsuccessfully, to take the officer's gun.

The Cedar City Police Department said Tuesday that Officer Jason Thomas, a 15-year veteran of the force, was recovering at home after the Sunday assault and was expected to return to work next week.

According to a police statement, Thomas encountered the 30-year-old suspect after responding to a complaint about the man acting disorderly on Sunday afternoon. The man was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine and intoxication.

The man was evaluated at the Valley View Medical Center before being booked into jail. The officer temporarily took the suspect's handcuffs off so he could be cleared from the hospital, and the suspect allegedly used his temporary freedom to start swinging.

Police say the man hit, kicked and bit Thomas and even tried to take the officer's gun. Despite his injuries, Thomas was able to overpower the suspect and place him under arrest again.

The attack resulted in additional offenses being added to the ones for which the man had been arrested, including attempting to disarm an officer, a first degree felony.

He also was booked on suspicion of assault by a prisoner, assault on a health care professional, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.

kbennion@sltrib.com

Twitter: @KimballBennion

Disorderly suspect allegedly injures Cedar City officer