A Kansas City man is facing assault charges after he allegedly repeatedly struck a police officer in the head with a metal chair at a downtown supermarket, seriously injuring himself.
Jorge I. Arroyo, 39, has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, according to Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Michael Mansur.
The alleged attack occurred early Sunday morning at Cosentino’s Downtown Market on East 13th Street in Kansas City’s Power & Light district. After store employees told a KCPD officer inside the store that Arroyo had been caught stealing, the officer asked Arroyo to leave and began placing his belongings outside the store, Mansur said.
Arroyo allegedly responded by repeatedly hitting the officer in the head with a metal chair, Mansur said. The officer was off-duty but was wearing his KCPD uniform, Mansur said. Arroyo’s attack was witnessed by several people, Mansur said.
According to Mansur, around 8:15 a.m., more police arrived at Cosentino’s to take Arroyo into custody. He was initially being held at the police station for investigation before the District Attorney’s Office filed charges, said Capt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department.
Arroyo is being held at the Jackson County Detention Center, according to inmate records. Charging documents related to Arroyo’s case have not yet been released, but prosecutors have requested that his bail be set at $150,000.
If Arroyo is found guilty, it could affect his sentence because police officers are considered special victims when it comes to assault charges.
The officer’s injuries required hospitalization, Becchina said. They included deep lacerations to the head, requiring surgery and 30 stitches, Mansur said.
According to Becchina, the officer is expected to be fired the next day.
