A man that reportedly upset Walmart customers with a stereo was apparently tackled by a Cortez police officer who has a history of anger-management issues.
In a two-page incident report, Cortez patrol officer Casey Eubanks reported that responded to Walmart at 5:48 p.m. on Aug. 11, for a trespass call. He reported that a male subject was carrying a stereo that bothered customers and that he refused two requests from store officials to leave the store.
Within 30 minutes of receiving the call, Eubanks wrote that he contacted the suspect on the street along the 600 block of Main Street within 30 minutes after receiving the call. Eubanks reported that he pursued the suspect in his vehicle as he crossed the street, then left his vehicle to confront him.
“I was standing on the sidewalk and was telling the male to stop,” Eubanks wrote in his report.
Eubanks said the suspect continued walking and that he picked the man “off the ground” and slammed him onto the pavement after he “attempted to push past” him. Eubanks noted the suspect screamed for help while being handcuffed.
“He continued to yell at me and at one point attempted to spit on me, but only managed to blow some air at me,” Eubanks wrote.
The male was arrested, transported to the Montezuma County jail and charged with trespass, unlawful crossing of a roadway by a pedestrian and resisting arrest.
In May, Eubanks was involved in a foot pursuit that resulted in the use of a stun gun. In that case, Eubanks reported that he used his stun gun because he was unable to catch the suspect during a foot pursuit. The male suspect later pleaded guilty to violating a protection order.
In February 2014, Eubanks received a department reprimand and was ordered to seek anger-management counseling after destroying city property in a moment a rage. That incident involved the arrest of a mentally disturbed man, who was stunned repeatedly by another officer while in handcuffs. A jury later acquitted the suspect of assaulting law enforcement officers.
Listed as an average employee according to city performance appraisal records, Eubanks has served as Cortez police officer since July 2012.