Intoxicated man arrested for trying to disarm officer

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WORTHINGTON — It is a case that just goes to show how fast a seemingly safe situation can turn into a dangerous incident for law enforcement.

According to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Nobles County District Court, 44-year-old Raul Chairez of Worthington was arrested Tuesday after trying to disarm a peace officer.

Allegedly, he doesn’t even remember the incident.

The complaint states a Worthington Police Officer was returning to his squad car after handling a traffic stop at about 5 p.m. when he noticed a man lying in the grass on the front lawn Nobles County Shop.

The man, later identified as Chairez, was not moving.

The officer and his partner approached and tried to wake the man, who smelled strongly of alcohol. Chairez did not respond to verbal commands at first, and opened his eyes briefly when shaken.

The officers helped him sit up, and when Chairez got to his feet, he stumbled back and forth before finding his balance. He mumbled something, and the officer asked what he had said.

That’s when Chairez allegedly lunged forward several feet and grabbed the handle of the officer’s handgun with his left hand, even though the officer wears his gun on his right side and was standing with his left side toward Chairez.

The officer also took hold of the gun, then stepped back to break Chairez’s grip on the weapon.

He forced the suspect to the ground and informed him he was under arrest, ordering the man to quit resisting. Chairez didn’t obey the command and continued resisting arrest.

The officers had to use force to handcuff Chairez.

He was taken to the law enforcement center, but due to his level of intoxication and aggressiveness, the complaint states, he was not interviewed until the following morning.

Chairez waived his rights and agreed to talk about the events of the day before. He told the officer he had been very drunk and didn’t remember anything that has happened.

He had tried to find his way home, he said, but couldn’t, so he laid down on the lawn.

He is charged with disarming a peace officer, obstructing the legal process and disorderly conduct.

Chairez, who has a previous conviction for driving while impaired, said he does not remember talking to the officer or trying to take his gun.

Bond was set at $2,000, but as of Friday afternoon, he was still being held at the Nobles County Jail.

A request for a public defender was granted, and his next court appearance is set for Aug. 16.

Tags: news, intoxicated, man, arrested, disarm, officer