Mesa police address 2 separate fights involving officers over the weekend

The Mesa Police Department addressed what led up to two separate fights involving officers over the weekend in Mesa.

The first altercation happened Saturday at a Dutch Bros near South Power Road and Roosevelt WCD Canal Road. One officer ended up with a broken hand that will need surgery and another one was "kicked in the face multiple times" and lost consciousness, said Mesa police spokesperson Brandi George.

George said officers responded to the establishment just before 8:45 a.m. for a disturbance. According to court records, Dutch Bros staff, "who were visibly shaken," told police they had asked the man causing the disturbance to leave and he went to a nearby Quik Trip.

The man was identified as Tegan Williams, 21. Police didn't find Williams at the gas station but he later returned to the establishment.

George told The Arizona Republic that Williams approached police and began "acting hostile." Police asked him to leave multiple times but he refused, according to George.

"At that point, officers can make an arrest for trespassing," she said.

An officer asked for more units and tried to detain Williams but he pushed the officer away, which is when the officer pulled out his taser, George said. "It's part of our tactic sometimes to just display the taser without actually utilizing it," she said.

More officers arrived and tried to use their tasers on him but missed. They grabbed Williams and one of the officers then used a taser that did connect on him while trying to arrest him, George said. He was injured from the taser probes and was taken to the hospital "for precaution" but was released.

According to court records, Williams squeezed an officer's hand so tight it broke and kicked another officer in the face multiple times to the point he lost consciousness.

Williams was booked into jail under three counts of aggravated assault, one count of resisting arrest, one count of disorderly conduct, one count of criminal damage and one count of third-degree trespass, according to court documents.

All officers were released from the hospital and are recovering, George said.

The second confrontation happened Sunday at Holmes Elementary School near South Horne and East Southern Avenue.

George said officers received reports of a car crashing into the school building right after 11 a.m. Police arrived and discovered the car actually crashed into a parking awning pole, George said.

Police contacted a woman identified as Elena Giron, 42, who was the driver of the car, and a man identified as Leon Brisco, 30, who was in the passenger seat, according to court records.

George said Giron showed "obvious" signs of impairment and she was arrested under aggravated DUI charges.

Officers saw Brisco "manipulating items inside the passenger compartment," according to court documents.

One of the officers spoke with Giron while a second officer spoke with Brisco. George said the officer who was talking with Brisco asked him to sit down while interviewing him, but he refused and "became confrontational."

"He was going through his pockets, he was going through the car," George said. "The officer (said) 'stop, I just need you to sit down.'"

According to court documents, police told Brisco that he was detained and not free to leave. The officer continued to ask him to sit multiple times and he kept refusing, George said.

The officer who was talking with Giron then came over and told Brisco he would be placed into handcuffs if he did not follow commands, police said.

George said officers then decided to "go hands-on with him and just put him in handcuffs" because he did not comply.

"At that point it's a crime and nobody is free to leave," George said. "They each grabbed one arm, he stood up and started moving his body, flailing. (He) would not submit to the detention."

George said both officers ended up on the ground and one smacked his head on the pavement. Police initially believed he lost consciousness, but George said they can't tell because his body camera fell off during the fight.

"All you see is the pavement. You don't see the fight, you don't see anything," she said. "We don't know how that happened. All we know is the officer fell on his head on the ground."

The other officer held Brisco on the ground until more police arrived. George said Brisco was also taken to a hospital "for precaution" but was released shortly after.

Court records stated police found heroin and methamphetamines inside Brisco's pockets. He was booked into the Mesa City Jail under charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, possession of dangerous drugs, and possession of narcotics.

The officer who was injured was discharged from the hospital Sunday and is recovering, George said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa police address 2 separate fights with officers over the weekend