Two individuals are facing charges following an altercation with the police, wherein an officer was injured during an attempt to arrest a man in a Walmart parking lot. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Friday, involving an off-duty Decatur police officer working security at the store.
The officer identified 29-year-old Marquez Daniel Lewis, who had an active arrest warrant from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office for failure to pay child support. Despite being informed of the warrant and instructed to exit the vehicle, Lewis, seated in the driver’s seat, refused to comply.
After repeated efforts to persuade Lewis failed, the officer broke the car window to effect the arrest. Lewis resisted actively and engaged in a physical altercation with the officer, resulting in the officer suffering a fractured orbital bone.
Lewis’s mother, wielding a cellphone, followed closely, prompting the officer to order her to back up. When she did not comply, the officer pushed her back and knocked the cellphone from her hand. Subsequently, a second officer arrived, leading to Lewis’s arrest.
Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion emphasized the importance of complying with lawful arrests, stating that refusal to submit can escalate charges and endanger everyone involved. He urged individuals to contest the validity of an arrest through legal channels rather than resisting.
Marquez Daniel Lewis faces charges of assault, resisting arrest, attempting to flee and elude, and criminal mischief, with a $15,900 bond. Additionally, Tonda Rochelle Lewis was arrested and charged with obstruction of governmental operations, with a $300 bond. The injured officer is on paid leave during recovery.
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