Washington County jail inmate tases 2 detention officers
Joshua Zak Hooser, 23, faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon with intent to injure. During a probable cause hearing held Wednesday at the Washington County Courthouse, District Judge Kyra Williams determined there was probable cause for his arrest and set his bond at $10,000. This bond was added to a $50,000 bond already on Hooser due to a prior arrest.
According to the affidavit, at around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the Washington County Sheriff's Office received a call for service to the Washington County Detention Center at 420 S. Johnstone Ave. in reference to an assault on detention staff.
A detention officer told responding law enforcement the incident began when three members of detention staff investigated scraping sounds coming from Hooser's cell. They said it sounded "like he was scraping metal on the walls or floor of his cell" as if Hooser was making a weapon by sharpening metal or hard plastic against the cell floor or walls, said the report.
The report said one of the two detention officers at the cell there to conduct a search for contraband instructed Hooser to place his hands though an opening in the door so he could handcuff him. Upon having one cuff placed on his wrist, Hooser attempted to pull his hands back into the cell and after struggling with the officer eventually was able to free himself. The officer then attempted to taser the inmate through the door opening, however the taser did not affect Hooser and Hooser pulled one of the taser probes out of himself.
Then armed with a replacement taser cartridge, the detention officer deployed it onto Hooser and entered the cell. Then as the officer attempted to restrain him, Hoover began resisting him and forced the taser device from the officer's hand while the device cycled and pressed it to the officer's upper right chest "drivestunning" him. The officer then struck Hooser, causing him to drop the taser which then slid under the bunk in the cell. Hooser then grabbed the device, reactivated it and tasered the other detention officer in the upper torso. The first officer then struck Hooser again, causing Hooser to drop the taser which the officer then pushed outside where it was secured by other detention staff, said the report.
According to the affidavit, Hooser continued to resist the two detention officers until they were assisted by Sheriff Rick Silver.
Hooser's next court date is set for Dec. 18.
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