PARIS — A Peru man accused of assaulting a police officer Saturday night was released Monday on bail.

Bert T. Holmquist III, 30, of 1090 Auburn Road, was arrested on charges of assault on an officer and refusing to submit to arrest or detention.

According to an arrest report by Officer Eric Bernier of the Dixfield Police Department, Bernier was stopped at the end of Taylor Road in Dixfield when he saw a car accelerate, causing its tires to spin.

He followed the car and saw Holmquist get out of it. He said he told Holmquist he needed to talk to him, but said Holmquist appeared agitated. Holmquist said he’d lost his identification and didn’t want to speak with Bernier, then went inside a building on High Street.

Bernier wrote that he followed Holmquist inside, drew his Tazer and told Holmquist to stop, but Holmquist entered an apartment and locked the door. When Bernier went outside, he said, children in the building told him Holmquist had jumped from a window.

After Bernier dealt with another resident at the building, Holmquist returned. Again, Bernier drew his Tazer and told Holmquist to submit to arrest. When Holmquist refused, Bernier used the Tazer. One of the probes missed Holmquist, Bernier wrote, and Holmquist charged Bernier and hit him in the face.

Holmquist took Bernier’s glasses and threw them on the ground. Bernier finally pepper-sprayed him.

“Holmquist then complied and was secured in handcuffs,” Bernier wrote.

At the Dixfield Police Department, Bernier flushed the pepper spray from Holmquist’s face with a garden hose and removed the Tazer probe.

Holmquist said he had medical issues and needed to go to the hospital. He was transported to Rumford Hospital, cleared and returned to the police station. Afterward he was taken to the Oxford County Jail in Paris.

Holmquist’s bail was set Monday at $200 cash. His arraignment is set for Nov. 6.

treaves@sunjournal.com

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