By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A sheriff’s deputy was treated at the emergency room for facial lacerations and bruising after getting punched in the eye when attempting to take a rural Chehalis man into custody yesterday.
It happened after a short standoff at the 62-year-old subject’s home in which after deputies knocked and the door swung open on its own, the man remained laying on his couch with his eyes open, ignoring them, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office says he wouldn’t respond to deputy’s commands so they fired a bean bag round, which hit him in the stomach and drew no reaction.
They then deployed a Taser, which missed, but prompted the resident to charge the deputies, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.
Edward K. Baker allegedly punched the one deputy, giving him a black eye and continued to fight, trying to bite another deputy until he was finally restrained.
The events took place on the 400 block of Leudinghaus Road yesterday morning.
Brown said it began when a deputy traveling on state Route 6 observed Baker driving a high rate of speed, but then lost him at about 8:45 a.m.
Baker was wanted on a warrant from the state Department of Corrections and had run from deputies a few days earlier, the sheriff’s office said. Brown said he is someone they’ve dealt with in the past, and they have “officer safety concerns” about him.
Baker was arrested for two counts of third-degree assault, resisting arrest and related offenses, according to Brown. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
Brown said the deputy with the black eye also dislocated a finger during the incident.