Published: November 04, 2009 09:53 pm      

Effort to avoid tow leads to arrest

Officer shocks suspect when he reportedly tries to flee

A Logansport man was arrested this week after he reportedly tried to prevent his vehicle from being towed.

On Tuesday afternoon, police responded to the 400 block of 13th Street at the request of code enforcement officer Diana Hileman. Hileman said she needed help impounding a vehicle with an expired registration.

The vehicle’s owner, 20-year-old Orlando Lopez, reportedly refused to move away from where the tow truck driver needed to hook onto the car.

A police report filed by Officer Brandon Bonnell said Lopez became belligerent when ordered to step aside.

Hileman told police she had given Lopez 20 days to make the registration current. He failed to so, she said, so was in violation of a city ordinance.

Bonnell said he informed Lopez to turn around and put his hands behind his back, but he said Lopez instead took off running. Bonnell reported that he instructed Lopez to stop multiple times before finally discharging a Taser discharged into the man’s back.

Lopez was booked into the Cass County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.

• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.