A Linton man got into a tussle with a Linton police officer last weekend, was arrested and is now facing charges of battery plus possession of methamphetamine.

William Wayne Lacer, 41, Linton, was arrested by Sgt. Logan Hobbs of the Linton Police Department on Saturday, September 26. Lacer was booked into the Greene County Jail at 3:49 p.m. Lacer has since posted bond and been released.

Sgt. Hobbs was dispatched to a domestic disturbance at Lacer’s residence on A Street NW in Linton around 1 p.m. last Saturday. When he got there, Lacer and a woman were still arguing with each other so the woman was asked to step outside while the officer talked to Lacer.

Sgt. Hobbs noted that during this time, Lacer was standing and walking normally, was not using a cane, was not complaining of any type of disability or pain but kept pulling clothes out of a laundry basket and Lacer and the woman continued to shout at each other.

Sgt. Hobbs told Lacer to stop going through the basket and the woman yelled that Lacer was hiding something inside a pair of pants that was on the ground. Lacer responded that there was nothing in his pants but he then pulled a glass smoking device with burnt residue, wrapped in a brown piece of paper with white powder residue, from a pants pocket. Lacer began yelling that it didn’t belong to him. Sgt. Hobbs took the pants and the smoking device and set them aside.

According to Sgt. Hobbs, Lacer then became irate and said he was going to remove the smoking device from his house. He was ordered to stay away from it but Lacer allegedly moved aggressively toward the device and pushed Sgt. Hobbs in the chest. Sgt. Hobbs pushed Lacer away from the device and ordered him to put his hands behind his back.

Sgt. Hobbs reported Lacer was given several opportunities to comply but he refused and when Sgt. Hobbs attempted to put handcuffs on Lacer, Lacer forcibly pulled his hand away. Lacer wound up on the ground but still refused to comply and continued to resist. Sgt. Hobbs deployed his Taser then after Lacer was handcuffed, he allegedly complained about various physical disabilities, said he could not walk without a cane and said he was unable to stand unassisted due to his disabilities.

Sgt. Hobbs called an ambulance to transport Lacer to Greene County General Hospital to be medically cleared before Lacer was transported to jail.

Lacer was initially held on charges of battery against the officer and possession of paraphernalia. His bond was set at $5,500 with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $550 and was released the next day.

The items confiscated by Sgt. Hobbs later tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine and when a case was filed against Lacer, the charges included:

• Battery against a public safety official, a Level 6 felony,

• Possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony, and

• Possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

The date for his initial hearing is not yet known.