A 43-year-old Brainerd man who allegedly was trying to break into a rural Brainerd home is facing criminal charges for resisting arrest and grabbing pepper spray from a police officer.
Jerry Harmon Arling Walker appeared for his first court hearing July 20 in Crow Wing County District Court in Brainerd, where he was charged with disarming a peace officer by taking a defensive device from an officer, a felony; gross misdemeanor obstructing the legal process; and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
According to the court document filed against Walker, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office was called at 8:43 p.m. July 17 to a burglary in progress at a residence on Crow Wing County Highway 8. A woman reported Walker, who she knew, was trying to get into her house.
The woman stated earlier that day at 5 p.m., she and Walker went to the mine pits together, and she described his behavior as very odd. He dropped her off at the house and then he left. About the time of the 911 call, the woman had been in her backyard lying on a trampoline when she observed Walker’s truck return and park.
She walked around the side of the garage and she told Walker to “Leave me alone” as she again described his actions as odd, the complaint stated.
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The woman went into the house, locked all the doors and called 911. The woman stated she stood in the middle of the kitchen and she observed a second male walking through the front yard with a sledge hammer over his shoulder. She began to hear the door knobs rattling on the exterior door. Walker began walking around the house, checking the other two doors, rattling the knobs on those as well. When Walker reached the back door, which is a full glass door, he began hitting the glass and pointing at the woman.
A Brainerd police sergeant approached Walker and attempted to handcuff him, while a sheriff’s deputy placed handcuffs on the second man. While the deputy was placing handcuffs on the second man, Walker was passively resisting the sergeant’s orders to place his hands behind his back, the complaint stated. Two deputies then assisted the sergeant with placing handcuffs on Walker.
Walker actively resisted by pulling away multiple times. The defendant was ordered to place his hands behind his back numerous times and then was informed if he did not place his hands behind his back he would be struck with a Taser. Walker continued to actively resist and the Taser was deployed onto his back. The Taser did not have the desired effect on Walker, the complaint stated, and he was then taken to the ground by law enforcement in an attempt to place handcuffs on him. Walker continued to resist before being sprayed in the face with a chemical agent. Walker grabbed the pepper spray from the sergeant and broke the pepper spray canister. He continued to resist for a period of time before officers were able to place him in two sets of handcuffs behind his back.
Deputies attempted to place Walker into the squad car and he refused to get into the squad car and wrapped his foot around the deputy’s leg in refusal to get into the squad car. Walker was again taken to the ground in an attempt to get him to comply. Walker agreed to comply and after more negotiation, he agreed to be seated in the vehicle
Walker initially had a court appearance Wednesday, but it was canceled. His next hearing will be Oct. 22.
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