TEXARKANA, Texas–A man who allegedly attempted to escape from police custody last week while being treated at a local hospital after reportedly resisting arrest for drug possession, has been charged with a number of crimes, including attempted escape with bodily injury.
Joshua David Waller, 32, was allegedly “non-compliant” with a Texarkana, Texas, Police Dept. officer who was attempting to arrest him Thursday in a field west of the Magnuson Hotel in the 5200 block of State Line Ave., according to a probable cause affidavit. When a second patrolman, Officer Zackary Gilley, arrived to assist, the first officer had Waller on his knees, a JPX chemical spray gun pointed at him.
Waller allegedly pulled away from the second officer when he attempted to cuff Waller, leading the officers to take him to the ground. Once up in the Bowie County, Waller complained that his head had been slammed to the ground and his leg twisted during the arrest, prompting a pre-booking trip to a local emergency room.
Waller’s handcuffs were removed while he was being x-rayed and the officer stood with the technician behind a lead wall during the procedure. After the first x-ray was taken, Waller allegedly bolted from the room but Gilley managed to cut him off as Waller “barrelled into” him.
Waller allegedly attempted to knock Gilley out of his way by running into him a second time and was eventually placed back in cuffs with the help of hospital security staff after running to a closed elevator.
Gilley reportedly suffered a shoulder injury during the scuffle with Waller.
Waller was arrested for misdemeanor resisting arrest and failure to identify charges along with felony charges of possession of a controlled substance and attempted escape with bodily injury. He is currently being held in the Bowie County jail with bonds totaling $42,500, court records show.
If found guilty of attempting to escape with bodily injury, Waller faces two to 20 years in a Texas prison.
