POCATELLO A 33-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly hit a hotel worker and bit an officer Monday afternoon.
Chase Anthony Fernandez was charged with felony aggravated battery and felony battery of a law enforcement officer.
If convicted, he faces up to 16 years in prison.
Court filings state that a Pocatello Police Department officer was called to a hotel in the 1400 block of Bench Road following a report of a physical altercation.
The officer spoke to a hotel worker who reported to the officer that Fernandez had struck him in the face.
The document states the worker had signs of an injury to his left eye, bruising to the left side of his face, and his left back molar was also broken.
A witness took a photo of Fernandez as the man began to leave the hotel.
According to both people, Fernadez was walking south on Bench Road while very drunk.
The document states that the officer began walking in the direction in which Fernandez was last seen and found the 33-year-old outside a restaurant in the parking lot.
The officer began to speak with Fernandez, but the man responded that he was not Fernandez. The man began to walk away from the officer and was informed that he was not free to leave.
A second officer arrived and attempted to detain Fernandez, but he resisted being placed into handcuffs.
The first officer reported that when they attempted to place Fernandez into handcuffs, he bit the officer s right wrist.
The document states Fernandez eventually told officers he would allow them to place him in handcuffs, but after they did so, he continued to resist. A WRAP restraint was used to secure Fernandez.
Fernandez is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 1:15 p.m. on July 8 before Magistrate Judge Scott Axline.
Though Fernadez has been charged with these crimes, this does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
