Man struggles with Atwater police before arrest, officers say

Two Atwater police officers suffered minor injuries over the weekend while arresting a man officers believe may have been under the influence of drugs, authorities reported.

Patrick Wichmann, 19, was booked into the Merced County jail on misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and battery on a peace officer. He was released from custody shortly after his arrest, according to jail records.

Atwater police responded just after 6 p.m. Friday to a home in the 1200 block of Winton Way after someone called to complain about “an unwanted guest,” Lt. Samuel Joseph said.

Officer Jason DaSilva contacted Wichmann, who allegedly “started a physical fight with DaSilva” while the officer was searching Wichmann for weapons, police said.

The two men struggled for a short time before Cpl. John Smothers arrived and attempted to deploy a Taser stun gun. Wichmann, however, managed to kick the stun gun out of the officer’s hand, police said.

Both officers struggled with Wichmann a short time before he was taken into custody. Wichmann was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Merced for an examination before he was booked into jail, police said.

Both officers suffered minor bruises on their hands and arms during the scuffle, Joseph said.

This story was originally published June 22, 2015 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Man struggles with Atwater police before arrest, officers say."