Chambersburg man accused of attacking cops who found him drunk in a random backyard

CHAMBERSBURG - Police allege a Chambersburg man became violent and caused an "extreme disturbance" as the officers who found him lying drunk in a stranger's backyard attempted to detain him late Saturday night. 

Samuel Smith, 30, was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, according to court records. He remained in Franklin County Jail on Wednesday, unable to post $100,000 bail. 

A Chambersburg police officer wrote in court documents that he and another officer responded shortly after 11 p.m. to a home in the 300 block of East McKinley Street for a report that an unknown man was passed out in the backyard. The caller said he had unsuccessfully tried to wake up the man. 

Police found the man lying against the house. His eyes were open, and he wasn't moving. He smelled of alcohol.

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Asked where he lived, the man - later identified as Smith - gave police, in slurred speech, an address that did not exist. He then gave an address on Tolbert Avenue - the same one where other officers were investigating a domestic dispute at that same time. Police determined Smith had fled that residence. 

After confirming he was indeed the suspect, Smith began shouting profanities and a racial slur at the police, according to court documents. 

"Due to his obvious extreme level of intoxication, his hostile aggression and the fact he was lying in a random citizen's backyard, I decided to take him into custody for public drunkenness," police wrote in court documents. 

As an officer tried to secure Smith's arm, Smith began to "violently resist" and tried to get up off the ground. Two officers grabbed his arms and prevented him from standing and handcuffed him. 

As the officers were escorting Smith to the police vehicle, he again began violently resisting. Smith attempted to headbutt one of the officers, then successfully headbutted the other and hit him in his chin, according to court documents.

The police worked to take Smith to the ground. At more than 6 feet tall and at least 260 pounds, he "put up an intense struggle even when handcuffed," police said. It took the two officers several minutes to get him under control on the ground. 

The police again tried to walk Smith to the police vehicle, and he again started resisting. He pushed his body weight against the officers in order to loosen their grips on him, but they took him to the ground again. 

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Other officers arrived. Leg shackles were placed on Smith, and he was taken to the police vehicle. He resisted as officers put him in the vehicle, and as they secured him Smith attempted to spit on one of the officer's hands but missed, according to court documents. 

"During this entire incident Smith was screaming profanities and threatening officers, causing an extreme disturbance throughout the neighborhood at a late hour," police wrote in court documents. 

At the police station, an officer was completing paperwork in the parking lot when Smith began to scream from inside the police vehicle and bang his head on the window, rocking the vehicle. An officer opened the door and told him to stop, but he started doing it again. An officer opened the door again, and this time Smith lunged out at the officer. He was taken to the ground, then began screaming profanities. 

Police used a device called a "hobble" to secure Smith's legs and put a spit mask over his mouth. Smith continued resisting, but police were able to again secure him in the back of the vehicle. 

Smith's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Glenn Manns in Franklin County Central Court. 

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