TEXARKANA, Texas–A man accused of giving a police officer a fake name before running from a traffic stop and falling in mud, has been charged with a number of misdemeanors and felony assault for allegedly pinning a correctional officer against the wall with a restraint chair in the Bowie County jail.
Christopher Williams, 24, was arrested Jan. 6 and charged with felony assault on a peace officer and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest, evading arrest, driving while intoxicated and failure to identify. Texarkana Texas Police Dept. officer Ty Ford was responding to a call regarding a reckless driver when he spotted the suspect driver heading towards him in the 400 block of Richmond Road, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The officer pulled over the car with a busted headlight near the intersection of Richmond and Maple and Williams allegedly got out and began approaching the officer. Williams allegedly ignored the officer when told to get back in the car and smelled strongly of alcohol.
“I also observed his eyes to be glassy and bloodshot and he seemed to be slurring his words slightly and appeared to be having a bit of trouble keeping his balance,” the affidavit said.
Williams was reportedly driving on a tire that had been flattened and was almost off the rim and what appeared to be fresh damage was observed on the car. When asked for his identification, Williams allegedly patted his pockets and looked inside his car before telling the officer that he’d left his wallet at home and that his name was John Williams.
But when the officer performed a “pat down” of Williams, he found a wallet in his pocket with an Arkansas driver’s license that showed his name was not John. When officer asked Williams to place his hands behind his back, Williams allegedly bolted down Richmond and then onto Spruce Street where he fell in mud in the yard of a private residence.
Officers were nearly able to grab him then but he managed to gain his footing and continue running until he fell again. Officer Ford and others who arrived to back him up managed to get Williams into handcuffs but getting him into a patrol car proved to be difficult because he reportedly fought and kicked them.
A “department-issued wrap device” was used to get Williams into the car and he was transported to the Bowie County jail, according to the affidavit. Williams allegedly continued to resist officers as they escorted him to the jail, prompting them to place him in a restraint chair designed to contain unruly detainees.
As he was being placed in the chair, Williams allegedly kicked and managed to pin a female correctional officer between it and the wall behind him, causing her pain.
Williams is currently being held on bonds totaling $118,000.
