Moses Lake man charged for kicking officer in the head

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man was charged for allegedly kicking a Moses Lake Police Department officer in the head.

Grant County prosecutors charged Samuel Culpepper, 24, of Moses Lake, with third-degree assault (law enforcement officer).

On Sept. 9 a Moses Lake Police Department officer was patrolling along West Third Avenue and reportedly spotted two males standing in front of a Moses Lake restaurant and bar. One of the men, alleged to be Culpepper, was reportedly waving his arms in the air and arguing with the other male, according to police records.

As the officer pulled up next to the business, Culpepper reportedly began running south on Dogwood Street and later turned into an alley nearby.

“After about 30 feet into the alley Samuel stopped, ran into a large wood pole in the ground and started running back towards Dogwood (Street). I exited my patrol vehicle and started running after Samuel, still ordering him to stop and get on the ground,” wrote an officer. “Samuel ran approximately another 30 feet down the sidewalk then stopped.”

Culpepper reportedly turned around and took a couple of steps toward the officer, which the officer took to be an aggressive move, so he grabbed Culpepper’s left arm and pushed him against a wall. Culpepper refused to get on the ground and the officer was eventually forced to take him to the ground. Culpepper still resisted and was placed into handcuffs when another officer arrived at the scene. The suspect refused to get into a patrol car and had to be physically pushed into the car by an officer. When he was in the car he reportedly slipped his handcuffs to the front, after being told not to do so.

He was removed from the car and his handcuffs were re-secured behind his back. In addition, his legs were secured with leg shackles. Culpepper allegedly told one of the officers at the scene, “if you pick me up I’m going to murder you and your family,” wrote an officer.

As police were securing Culpepper into the back of a patrol car he reportedly kicked an MLPD officer in the head with his foot. Police later questioned the man Culpepper was allegedly arguing with outside of the restaurant/bar, who said Culpepper had become angry about something that happened inside and they went outside to talk. He said the suspect wasn’t mad at him, but mad about the incident inside the business.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com