By Brian Gawley
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — Two people were arrested early Thursday morning and later released following an altercation at Olympic Medical Center that required all four on-duty Port Angeles police officers, according to a news release from the Port Angeles Police Department.
Christine Marie Sandaker, 32, was booked into Clallam County jail at 1:08 a.m. on Thursday for investigation of two counts of third-degree assault (assaulting a police officer and assaulting a healthcare worker), first-degree criminal trespass, obstructing a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and interference with a healthcare facility.
Emory Britton Spears, 25, was booked into Clallam County jail at 1:04 a.m. on Thursday for investigation of interference with a healthcare facility, obstructing a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.
Hometowns were not available.
Both were released by court order on Friday and Thursday, respectively, according to the Clallam County jail roster. The case was referred to the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney for consideration of charges.
The incident began at about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday and lasted one hour and 40 minutes, the release stated.
Port Angeles police officers were dispatched to the OMC emergency room after hospital security requested backup for a disturbance involving two people who were described in the release as “agitated” and “uncooperative.”
Officers said that they tried to de-escalate the situation and removed both people but that they resisted arrest.
The entire patrol shift of four officers was dedicated to the call for several hours to safely subdue the two people, manage the scene, transport the people to jail, conduct follow-up investigation and complete arrest reports and other paperwork, the police department said.
“We had to use some manner of physical force to control the situation,” said Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith on Friday. It’s hard to manage those violent situations safely.”
