Man battles officers in ‘hand-to-hand combat,’ police say

A 34-year-old man allegedly under the influence of PCP battled several officers in “hand-to-hand combat” before he was shot with a Taser and arrested, Fontana police said Tuesday afternoon.

The incident began Monday morning when Mario Granados allegedly tried to stab a man with a sharp object near Etiwanda Avenue and Santa Ana Street and then left the scene, according to the Fontana Police Department.

An officer spotted Granados nearby and confronted the suspect, who “began to advance towards the officer,” Sgt. Doug Imhof said in a statement.

The officer struck Granados in the legs with a baton but the blows “had no affect on him,” according to police.

Granados ran away and was chased by the officer for about a quarter-mile. Another officer responded and “Granados fought with both officers,” Imhof said.

Granados “was on top of the first officer, who was completely worn out from the lengthy foot pursuit and hand-to-hand combat. Granados grabbed the officer’s handgun and started to pull it from his holster,” Imhof said.

Two other officers arrived and shot a Taser at Granados, but it “did not appear to affect him,” Imhof said.

After a lengthy fight with the officers, Granados was handcuffed and taken into custody. One of the officers received bruises and abrasions, Imhof said, and Granados also was bruised and cut.

Police said Granados “was later found to be under the influence of PCP, which was the reason he did not react to being struck by the baton or being Tased.”

He was being held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

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robert.lopez@latimes.com