Acid spit at police, arrest report says
Police say a man was arrested after he poured a bottle of acid-based cleaner into his mouth and later spat it at officers in Little Rock.
Christopher Cleveland, 27, of Little Rock was taken into custody on charges that include first-degree battery, second-degree battery, violating an order of protection, residential burglary and resisting arrest, records show.
Officers were called around 12:30 p.m. Saturday to a residence on Lamont Drive, according to a Little Rock Police Department report.
Cleveland’s mother said that she was outside by her vehicle when her son grabbed her, took her keys and phones and ran into her home.
The 27-year-old had not been taking medication for bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, she told officers.
Police said Cleveland refused to come outside and talk and reportedly told authorities that he wanted his mother.
When officers later went inside the residence, they found Cleveland pouring a liquid into his mouth. He at one point spit it out toward officers and threw the bottle in their direction, police said.
The product was later identified as acid-based Liquid Fire, which is used to clean pipes and drains. It had “burned through” the officers’ clothing, the report stated, leaving them with blisters and “severe redness.”
After a brief struggle, Cleveland was reportedly taken outside to be treated for drinking the cleaner. He was then taken into custody and transported to UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock.
Several officers were treated for chemical exposure on scene and at nearby hospitals, police said.
Cleveland’s name did not appear in online records for the Pulaski County jail as of Monday morning.
Police described the first robber as standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing around 165 pounds while the second stands 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing around 170 pounds.
Hotel security footage reportedly showed the pair leaving in a red Dodge Charger.
No suspects were named, and no arrests had been made at the time of the report.