Two officers injured during altercation with domestic violence suspect

One police officer was hospitalized and another injured during an attempt to take a domestic violence suspect into custody Sunday morning in West Central Spokane.

Police responded to a report that a man was attempting to force his way into a relative’s home on Broadway Avenue while armed with a knife just after 9 a.m. Sunday, according to a Spokane Police Department news release. Soon thereafter, officers in the area located the suspect, Jacob Wiswell, 35, walking east on Broadway, and gave several verbal commands, which he allegedly ignored.

Due to the thick winter coat Wiswell was wearing, the officers’ Tasers were ineffective and police tried to physically restrain him, SPD public information officer Teresa Fuller said. During the struggle, one officer sustained a knee injury which required treatment at a local hospital. Another officer was treated for minor injuries.

When officers searched Wiswell, they found a knife on his person that had been reported in the original call to police.

Wiswell was booked into the Spokane County Jail on Sunday for felony harrassment. According to the news release, he could face additional charges.

It was the second incident in a week in which an officer was injured while taking someone into custody. Fuller said Tasers were also ineffective when officers tried to detain Aaron J. Aamodt, 37, last week. Aamodt was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and first-degree assault after officers say he attempted to choke them and gouge their eyes.