Three Orange County deputies bitten during arrest
NEWS. THIS IS WRAL.
>> RIGHT NOW AT FIVE-THIRTY,
THE MAN ACCUSED OF SENDING 3
DEPUTIES TO THE HOSPITAL.
BUT ALL OF THEM. THAT'S WHAT
PROSECUTORS SAID IN COURT TODAY
WHEN JORGE LOPEZ TO RAN
APPEARED IN FRONT OF A JUDGE
FOR THE FIRST TIME. THANKS SO
MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS
EVENING. I'M LENA TILLETT AND
I'M DAN HAGGERTY IS ACCUSED
OF ASSAULTING THOSE DEPUTIES.
>> AFTER THEY SAY THEY CAUGHT
HIM THROWING ROCKS AND STEALING
PROPERTY FROM ORANGE COUNTY
HOMES, WRAL. SHAUN GALLAGHER
IS THERE LIVE. SEAN IS, YOU
KNOW, KIND OF A RARE SIGHT
TODAY. THE SHERIFF ACTUALLY
ESCORTED THIS MAN INTO THE
COURTROOM.
>> YEAH, DAN RARE BUT NOT
ENTIRELY UNCOMMON. SOMETHING HE
ONLY SAVES FOR THE MOST
HIGH-PROFILE CASES. IT'S
SOMETHING SHERIFF BLACKWOOD
FELT WAS IMPORTANT TODAY
KNOWING THAT 3 OF HIS OWN WERE
SENT TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER THIS
INCIDENT.
>> THE MAN ACCUSED OF PUTTING
3 SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES IN THE
HOSPITAL APPEARED MUCH CALMER
FRIDAY THAT HE DID AFTER
THURSDAY'S VICIOUS FIGHT WENT
INTO THE SCENE AFTER THEY HAD
CLEARED AND LIFTED. IT WAS
BLOOD EVERYWHERE. THAT WAS NOT
HIS BLOOD. SHERIFF CHARLES
BLACKWOOD SAYS DEPUTIES
RESPONDED TO THIS MOBILE HOME
PARK AFTER LOPEZ DURAN WAS SEEN
ACTING ERRATICALLY HOME
SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE SHOWS HIM
TRYING TO STEAL A GRILL AND
RESIDENTS SAY HE WAS THROWING
ROCKS AND BRICKS AT WINDOWS AND
PULLING AIR CONDITIONING UNITS
OFF THEIR FOUNDATION. BIZARRE
BEHAVIOR WHEN DEPUTIES TRIED TO
TAKE LOPEZ RAN INTO CUSTODY.
HE TURNED ON THE DAY, SUBDUED
HIM, BUT THEY COULDN'T HANDCUFF
THEM BECAUSE EVERY TIME I TRIED
TO LET GO OF ONE TO GO GRAB IT,
SAYING HE WOULD BITE LATCHING
ONTO ONE DEPUTY'S HAND SO
BADLY. I COULD SEE THERE WAS A
WIDE OPEN GALLING OF IT WAS IT
WAS NOT PRETTY DEPUTIES HELPING
EACH OTHER BREAK FREE FROM
LOPEZ DURAN. SHE ACTUALLY WAS
TRYING TO OPEN HIS JAW.
>> TO GET HIM TO LET GO OF THE
DEPUTY WHO HAD CLINCHED AN ON
CALL. SHE COULD SEE THE DAMAGE
BEING DONE AND HE BIT HER
BLACKWOOD BELIEVES LOPEZ RAN
MAY HAVE BEEN ON METH,
SOMETHING HE HAS BEEN CHARGED
BOTH OKLAHOMA AND GEORGIA IN
THE PAST BIZARRE BEHAVIOR.
THE VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, THE PAIN
TOLERANCE IS A TASER THAT WERE
DEPLOYED A TASER TWICE. SOME
PEOPLE HERE HOW SEVERE THIS IS
AND THINK WHY WASN'T DEADLY
FORCE? YOU KNOW, AN OPTION AND
THAT ENDED THE DEADLY FORCE
QUESTION IS WHAT WE'VE ALREADY
FACE TO SWELL. WHAT HE WAS
DOING TO THEM WAS VICIOUS.
BUT IT DIDN'T RISE TO THE LEVEL
OF DEADLY FORCE.
AND LOPEZ DURAN IS FACING 4
CHARGES RELATED TO THIS
INCIDENT. ONE FOR STEALING AND
THEN 3 FOR INJURING THOSE
OFFICERS. IF HE'S FOUND GUILTY
OF ALL OF THEM, HE COULD BE