A 31-year-old Hillsboro man who had been arrested on an outstanding warrant allegedly spit in a police officer’s face and ripped a padded mat off a jail cell wall at the Arnold Police Station. The incident happened at around 12:50 p.m. Jan. 22, Capt. Rich Shular said.
The man was arrested and transferred from the Jefferson County Jail to the Arnold Jail at 10:55 a.m. that day because he was wanted by Arnold Police for a drug violation, police reported.
While the Hillsboro man was held in the Arnold Jail cell, he reportedly became angry and spit on the officer. When officers checked on the prisoner later in the day, they discovered he had removed one of the pads from the wall of the padded cell. It will cost an estimated $400 to repair the damage, the report said.
The man allegedly made a suicidal statement, so he was transported to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County for evaluation.
Arnold Police are seeking charges against the man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the previous drug violation, as well as through the Arnold Municipal Court for fourth-degree assault and property damage charges stemming from the Jan. 22, Shular said.