Visalia officer injured in fight at Leslie's Pool Supply
A Visalia officer was injured during a struggle with a man who threatened to harm him and others, according to police.
Around 9 a.m. Saturday, officers were called to Leslie's Pool Supply, 3612 N. Dinuba Blvd. Police said the Target north shopping center wasn't busy when they arrived.
A man had locked himself inside the pool supplier's bathroom and was screaming, Sgt. Steve Scofield said.
The suspect was later identified as 33-year-old Phillip Gutierrez.
The first officer to arrive at the north Visalia business tried to coax Gutierrez out of the bathroom. However, the man "violently resisted" and made threats against the officer, Scofield said.
A "physical altercation" broke out between the suspect and the officer, Scofield said. The officer called for backup to help restrain Gutierrez.
A Taser was used to stop Gutierrez, police said. It's unknown if the man was armed with any type of weapon.
During the struggle, an officer was injured. He was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center for treatment and later released. The extent of the officer's injuries were not released.
Gutierrez was also treated at Kaweah Delta for injuries and cleared to be taken to jail.
He was arrested and booked into Tulare County Pretrial Facility on suspicion of assault on a peace officer, threatening a police officer and resisting arrest.
His bail was set at $60,000.
Sheyanne Romero covers Tulare County public safety, local government and business for the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register newspapers. Follow her on Twitter @sheyanne_VTD. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.