Man fights traffic sign, takes on cops

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) - A Roswell man is behind bars after putting up a long, hard fight against multiple officers and a stop sign.

Police were called to the intersection of Main Street and West Deming after someone saw the man in what they called an altercation with a stop sign.

Police said when they approached Raymond Garcia, 45, he became belligerent and ran from officers. Two officers shot Garcia with Taser darts, but said he continued kicking at them as they got closer.

When darted again, Garcia jumped up and broke off the Taser leads from his stomach. One officer tried to use his baton, but somehow Garcia got ahold of it and tried to use it against the officers.
     
At that point, police deployed pepper spray, but even that didn't stop Garcia. Responding officers said he wiped the pepper spray off his face and continued running while throwing the officer's baton at them.  

"Usually when somebody is tased, their muscles contract and don't allow them to do anything, and that's why you normally see them fall to the ground," explained Sabrina Morales, of the Roswell Police Department. "So this person, Garcia, had to be on some sort of drug possibly that was not allowing his system to react normally."

Garcia finally fell to the ground, and three officers were able to cuff and arrest him around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Although police suspect he was on drugs, they did not find any on him.

Garcia is held at the Chaves County Detention Center and charged with aggravated assault against a peace officer, disarming, and resisting officers.