Watsonville Man Arrested After Assault on Police Officer Following Hours-Long Standoff
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“A 37-year-old Watsonville man is in custody and facing multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, following several tense hours of negotiation.
Our Officers responded to the 300 block of Herman Avenue at about 8:40 PM on Wednesday for reports of a man armed with a knife slashing tires. The man, identified as Edgar Arias Cruz, had prior arrests for obstructing and assaulting officers with deadly weapons. A plan was devised to safely take him into custody that night. It was also reported that the suspect was possibly under the influence of drugs.
Our Drone Unit, along with the Santa Cruz Police Department’s Drone Team, launched drones to gain a clearer view of the suspect, who remained armed with a knife. For nearly three hours, our Crisis Negotiators worked to convince Cruz to drop the knife. But suddenly, he ran toward a home and threw the knife at one of our Officers, striking him in the leg. Cruz was tased, taken into custody, and later booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail following medical treatment. His bail is set at $50,000.
Officers found nearly two grams of methamphetamine on him and recovered a 13-inch kitchen knife. An estimated $2,500 in damages were caused to parked vehicles in the area. Residents were issued a shelter-in-place order during the incident.
No one else was injured thanks to our Officers’ quick thinking and de-escalation tactics.”
