Hammond officers beaten in arrest attempt

HAMMOND (WLS) -- Two Hammond police officers were badly beaten Friday when they tried to make an arrest.

One officer was hospitalized after being attacked by the suspect.

Witnesses at the intersection of Holman and Sibley described an attack where a young men overtook police officers even after he had been tasered several times.

The Hammond police chief said the attack happened at 1 p.m. after a 31-year-old man flagged down the officer. There was a verbal altercation where the man and officer were screaming at each other, then the man charged the officer and they started fighting.

Just as it started, an off-duty officer driving by saw what was happening and tried to help. The man started fighting him as well. The suspect was a smaller man, yet he beat up both officers before backup arrived. Witnesses say the officers were using their taser guns over and over, but the suspect was just too strong.

"He got tasered. And (they were) trying to subdue him, but he had no intention of being subdued. So the fisticuffs started and finally backup came and got the man under arrest," said witness Jim Thomas.

One officer was treated and released from the hospital. The other officer was in stable condition at St. Margaret hospital. The suspect is in custody but had yet to be charged.

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local, dan ponce

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