Local News in Brief : Anaheim : Two Officers Beaten; Suspect Shot in Arm

Two Anaheim police officers were injured when a man they were trying to arrest grabbed a baton from one of them and beat them both about the head, authorities said Sunday.

The man, Joseph Harry Peterson, 29, of Anaheim, was finally subdued after being shot in the arm by one of the officers, according to Police Sgt. Chet Barry.

The incident occurred about 10:40 p.m. Saturday when police responded to a report that a man was trying to steal a motorcycle on West Ball Road, Barry said. When officers arrived, they were told that the man had fled and broken into an apartment in the 2800 block of West Ball Road.

Two officers entered the apartment and found Peterson, who had removed his clothing and put on a bathrobe that belonged to a resident of the apartment. As they tried to arrest him, Peterson began to struggle, and wrested away one of the officers’ batons, Barry said.

Peterson allegedly struck both officers several times on the head with the baton. Barry said one of the officers drew his gun and, after ordering Peterson to drop the baton, fired once, hitting Peterson’s right arm, Barry said.

Other officers arrived at the scene and Peterson was taken into custody. He is in satisfactory condition at UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he is being held in the jail ward on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Barry and hospital personnel said.

The two officers were treated and released at nearby hospitals, Barry said.