KINGFIELD — A Franklin County deputy was injured early Sunday when a Greene man slammed him to the ground, Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said Monday.

Deputy Andrew Morgan was grabbed from behind while processing Tyler Poland’s father, Daniel Poland, on a charge of drunken driving, Nichols said.

Tyler Poland, 28, was arrested on a felony charge of assault on an officer and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing government administration. He was released from Franklin County jail on $500 cash bail Sunday, Nichols said.

Daniel Poland, 61, of Greene was arrested on misdemeanor charges of operating under the influence-one prior, and hindering apprehension, Nichols said. He was released on $250 cash bail Sunday morning.

Morgan stopped a pickup truck at about 1 a.m. Sunday that had run the stop sign at the end of Commercial Street in Kingfield, Nichols said. During the stop, Morgan determined the driver, Daniel Poland, was intoxicated and started to conduct field sobriety tests on him.

While doing so, another man emerged from the woods and started verbally abusing Deputy Morgan and made threatening gestures towards Morgan, including attempting to strike him, Nichols said.

Morgan was about to use pepper spray on the man when he stopped his attack and ran back into the woods again, he said.

Morgan called for assistance, and Deputy Kevin Hartley and Lt. David Rackliffe, who were in the opposite side of town, quickly arrived at the scene to look for the man who attempted to assault Morgan.

Morgan asked the driver, Dan Poland, if he knew who the man was because Poland had just left he Nostalgia Tavern, which was visible from the stop, and Morgan wondered if he had met the man at the bar, Nichols said.

Poland denied knowing who the man was, he said.

As Morgan continued to talk to Poland, the man reappeared quickly out of the woods again and attacked Morgan from behind, grabbing his throat and throwing Morgan to the ground, Nichols said.

Morgan recovered and started to chase the man down Main Street but stopped the pursuit knowing the other two deputies were nearby. Morgan alerted them, returned to Daniel Poland and arrested him on a charge of operating under the influence, he said.

Meanwhile, Rackliffe and his police dog, Justice, and Hartley found Tyler Poland, who had assaulted Morgan, hiding behind some vehicles approximately 200 yards away, Nichols said.

The two men were hunting in the area, he said.

Morgan was sore from the assault but doing OK, Nichols said. Nichols has directed him to go to a doctor to get checked out.

NOTE: The story has been changed since it was originally published to reflect the correct name of the deputy and police dog that found Tyler Poland. The information was incorrectly submitted to the Sun Journal.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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