Two Livingston officers assaulted while responding to family dispute

Two Merced County men face possible charges of assaulting a peace officer following a skirmish that broke out when authorities responded to a family dispute, police reported.

Two Livingston Police officers suffered minor injuries including cuts and bruises in the alleged assault early Sunday morning in the 700 block of Elmwood Ct.

Police said the incident began after an officer responded to a call about 2 a.m. Sunday from a 17-year-old girl who said her older brother, Edgar Barajas, 27, punched her at a family birthday hotdog.

When the officer arrived and tried to detain Barajas, his brother, Hector Carreon Para, 36, grabbed the officer and pulled him off Barajas, according to a police report. When the officer released Barajas and tried to detain Carreon Para, other family members pulled Carreon Para into a garage and away from the officer.

A second officer arrived for assistance, and the two officers tried to detain Carreon Para. Both officers were blocked by other family members. A 17-year-old boy punched the second officer from behind. When the officer tried to arrest the boy, he was attacked by several family members, including the girl who reported the incident, Carreon Para and 56-year-old Gerardo Barajas, Edgar Barajas’ father.

About 20 family members surrounded the officers, who used their batons for protection, until Merced County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to assist them.

The 17-year-old girl who called police was not cooperative. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment of the eye injury suffered when she allegedly was punched by her brother.

Carreon Para and Gerardo Barajas were booked into Merced County Jail on charges obstructing and assaulting a peace officer. Both men were released later Sunday morning. Arrest records show Gerardo Barajas was jailed in 2013 and 2014 for drunken driving convictions.

The two 17-year-olds also were cited for similar charges and released to their guardians.

This story was originally published October 5, 2015 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Two Livingston officers assaulted while responding to family dispute."