Assault suspect coughs on arresting officers; claims to have COVID-19 and HIV

An intoxicated man coughed on members of the Bloomington Police Department, saying he was COVID and HIV positive, when arrested after he attacked several people at a residence Wednesday night, according to Bloomington Police Capt. Ryan Pedigo.

Police were called to the 900 block of W. 7th Street after a 34-year-old man believed to be under the influence of drugs allegedly attacked several people at a residence. Witnesses said the man was trying to fight another man in the area, and was extremely agitated. Then he began to strike a 42-year-old man, who tried to stop the fight, until others intervened. Another man joined the fight, and also assaulted the victim. Both the intoxicated man, and the man who assisted him in the assault, fled after the police were called.

The 42-year-old man, who had intervened, realized his Chevy Tahoe, which he’d left running, had been stolen. Officers soon located the vehicle at Juanita’s Restaurant in the 600 block of W. Kirkwood, where it was unoccupied, and left running. Officers were able to see that the suspect arrived in the vehicle and entered the restaurant, from the restaurant’s security cameras.

A man at a residence in the 400 block of W. 4th Street, reported that an unknown man entered his residence uninvited. The suspect was observed outside the residence by another person when he entered. Police checked the residence, and located the 34-year-old man inside, who was then escorted from the home. He tried to pull away from the officers, and coughed in their faces and told them that he was both COVID and HIV positive.

The man was taken to the Monroe County Jail, and will face charges of disorderly conduct, B misdemeanor; vehicle theft, level 6 felony; residential entry, level 6 felony; resisting law enforcement, class A misdemeanor; and battery on a law enforcement officers, level 5 felony.

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