A Golden Gate man faces felony charges after deputies say he tried to flee while driving drunk and then got into a physical altercation with the deputy who arrested him.John Leo Walsh, 46, 3141 2nd St. NW, was charged with fleeing and eluding, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and DUI.
Reports say a deputy saw a green Chevrolet van parked in the middle of 2nd Street without its lights on at 1:55 a.m. Sunday. The deputy activated his patrol car’s emergency lights, aimed his spotlight at the driver’s mirror and got out of his car to investigate why the van was stopped in the street.
As the deputy walked toward the van, its driver, John Walsh, drove away, reports said. The deputy returned to the patrol car, activated his lights and siren, and followed the van north on 2nd Street, reports said.
When the van pulled into the driveway at Walsh’s house the deputy stopped behind it and approached the driver’s side window, according to reports. Walsh repeatedly refused to comply with the deputy’s order to get out of the van, so the deputy reached inside and tried to pull Walsh out, according to reports. Walsh and the deputy struggled for several minutes with Walsh still in the van’s driver’s seat before Walsh was able to break free, lock the van door and roll up his window, reports said.
At that point the deputy hit the van window four times with his flashlight, shattering it, according to reports. As he continued to try to pull Walsh from the van more deputies arrived. Reports said Walsh then complied and got out of the van and was arrested.
