ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A Florissant man handcuffed on one hand during an attempted arrest allegedly used the other cuff to strike an officer in the face.
Prosecutors have charged Orlando Bernard III, 18, with first-degree assault and resisting arrest amid the investigation.
Bernard is accused of striking a St. Ann police officer who responded to a disturbance call Thursday. Police initially responded to a hotel over reports of a domestic disturbance and a baby crying loudly.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, a woman claimed that Bernard grabbed her head and choked her. Police then encountered Bernard and asked him to place his hands behind his back and sit on the floor. Court documents allege Bernard was looking down a hallway, and police believed he was trying to escape.
At some point, an officer attempted to place Bernard in handcuffs and got one cuff on him. Moments later, Bernard reportedly swung his arm, and the loose cuff struck the officer in the face.
Per court documents, the officer went down and suffered a deep gash to his eyebrow area, an injury which will require stitches.
Bernard tried to run away from the hotel after that, but another officer stopped him with a taser.
The downed officer is getting a CAT scan, and will undergo a retinal exam because the handcuff went into his eye. He was medically blinded for treatment, according to court documents.
“We will hold this defendant accountable for assaulting a police officer, who was simply doing his job. We pray for a complete recovery from these horrifying injuries,” said St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.
If convicted of both charges, Bernard faces up to 34 years in prison. Bernard has an arraignment hearing scheduled for Friday, per Missouri court records.
