Man arrested on suspicion of biting Redwood City officer during scuffle

REDWOOD CITY >> A 36-yearold man has been arrested on suspicion of biting and injuring a Redwood City police officer during a scuffle earlier this week, police said.

Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, officers were called to a business on the 1400 block of El Camino Real in Redwood City for a report of a man who was “demonstrating erratic criminal behavior,” the Redwood City Police Department said in a news release.

Police said the man took a basketball from a group of children, threw objects at passing vehicles, tried to push a person off a bicycle and attempted to open the doors of parked vehicles.

When officers arrived at the scene, the man ran northbound on El Camino Real in southbound lanes of traffic and was almost struck by several vehicles. Officers eventually detained the man in the parking lot of the Pet Food Express at Sequoia Station.

During the arrest, the man “actively resisted” officers and bit one twice, causing a minor injury, police said.

The man also suffered minor visible injuries. He was examined at the scene and taken to the San Mateo Medical Center for a physical and emotional health assessment.

Around 9:40 p.m., officers were called to pick the man up from the hospital. He tried to run from them when they arrived, but he ultimately was detained, handcuffed and placed in leg restraints prior to being taken to jail, according to police.

The man was booked into San Mateo County jail on charges of willfully resisting arrest, resisting arrest by means of threats or violence and battery upon a peace officer.

Police said an administrative review will be conducted to determine if the actions of the officers involved in the incident were consistent with the law and department policy. A video recording of the event taken by a bystander has been obtained by police.

Tuesday’s events resulted in the man’s fourth arrest and fifth contact by San Mateo County law enforcement officers in the past nine days. Four of the events “involved varying levels of resistance” and two of them required “emergency police assistance to contain the aggressive resistance presented” by the man, according to police.

“Redwood City Police Department personnel are coordinating with the District Attorney’s Office and other local agencies to explore additional supportive service options to assist with or identify the cause for (the man’s) consistent erratic behavior,” police said.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact Lt. Casey Donovan at 650-780-7103, or the tip line at 650-780-7110.