A suspect with a knife damaged ten police squad cars in Mt. Vernon before confronting a responding officer while still armed with a knife. Fortunately, the suspect, later identified as 29-year-old Daniel Artis of Mt. Vernon, turned and fled after advancing toward the officer and was arrested after being tased.
The incident occurred on November 3rd in the parking lot of the Rolland Lewis building at 800 South 27th Street, where police received a report of tires being slashed. As the first officer exited his vehicle, Artis allegedly slashed the front passenger-side tire on his squad car, rendering it flat.
The officer drew his firearm and used his squad car as a barrier between himself and the armed suspect. As the officer moved toward the rear of the vehicle, Artis proceeded to slash the rear passenger-side tire. The officer confronted Artis, and the circumstances presented a potentially deadly force encounter had Artis continued advancing toward him.
Fortunately, Artis subsequently turned and fled from the officer. As another officer arrived on the scene, the initial responding officer transitioned to his department-issued Taser and pursued Artis. The officer successfully deployed the Taser, causing Artis to drop the knife. Officers then took Artis into custody.
While officers were preparing Artis for transportation to a local hospital, he bit an officer. After arriving at the hospital, Artis also spit on a nurse. Following medical treatment and clearance for incarceration, Artis was transported to the Jefferson County Jail. He’s being held on ten counts of criminal damage to state support property, two counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer, and one count apiece of armed violence and aggravated battery to a police officer.
During the incident, Artis damaged a total of ten police squad cars by slashing between two and four tires on each vehicle. The affected vehicles belonged to multiple law enforcement agencies from throughout the region whose personnel were attending training at the Mt. Vernon Police Department.
Mt. Vernon Chief of Police Robert Brands says that, despite the potential for deadly force, officers showed tremendous restraint and resolved the situation with a less-lethal option. He notes officers encounter potentially deadly situations every year, yet the vast majority of these incidents are resolved without serious injury to anyone. That is a testament to their training, professionalism, and dedication.
