Some Santa Maria police officers had an unusual encounter with a local resident the morning of Sept. 11.
According to a press release from the department, officers responded to a distress call around 10:25 a.m. in the 1100 block of West Robert Lane to find an “out-of-control adult” brandishing a 12-inch straight blade knife at family members inside their home.
Police subdued the suspect, 32-year-old Enrique Villarreal, with a Taser gun. During the incident, an officer was assaulted but not injured and a second officer was injured while taking Villarreal into custody.
Villarreal was arrested and charged for brandishing a knife and battery of an officer. He also had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for his arrest. He was transported and booked in to Santa Barbara County Jail in Goleta, where he remained as of press time.
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This article appears in Sep 15-22, 2011.