Columbia Basin Herald
EPHRATA, Wash. — A Soap Lake man allegedly assaulted a firefighter at the scene of a three-vehicle collision in Ephrata and kicked out a window on a police vehicle.
Grant County prosecutors charged Omar Herrera, 20, of Soap Lake, with first-degree malicious mischief (public service interruption) and third-degree assault (firefighter) in Grant County Superior Court.
About 2:45 p.m. on Dec. 19 police, fire and medical services were dispatched to a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of state Route 28 and Road B Northwest. At the scene of the collision, which injured 10 people, firefighters with the Ephrata Fire Department were removing two people from a vehicle in a ditch, according to police records.
An officer with the Ephrata Police Department was directing traffic and heard a EFD firefighter yell and spotted a captain with the EFD walking fast away from the vehicle in the ditch. The captain reportedly had a lot of redness on his neck area and was missing his helmet. The firefighter was reportedly chasing a man, Herrera, up the embankment away from the vehicle in the ditch and told the officer that Herrera was preventing the firefighters from working.
Herrera was reportedly distraught when he was approached by the EPD officer and the officer had to restrain him from going back down the embankment. Herrera reportedly became agitated and attempted to push the officer and was eventually taken into custody. Herrera reportedly kicked out a window while in a EPD patrol vehicle.
Police later learned Herrera’s father was a victim in the collision and when he, Herrera, learned which vehicle was at fault in the collision, the car down the embankment, he started to walk toward the vehicle. Witnesses said Herrera appeared angry at the occupants of the vehicle he was attempting to reach, according to police records.
“Herrera’s mood changed from one of compassion or concern, to anger and rage,” wrote a EPD officer. “Herrera is described as walking as such, away from his injured parents towards the vehicle in the embankment.”
EFD firefighters said they observed Herrera lunge at the EFD captain and punch him. All EFD members at the scene confirmed that the EFD captain was attacked by Herrera after having been told numerous times to leave the area. The EFD captain said he “scuffled” with Herrera and Herrera attempted to hit him in his face and neck, according to police records.
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