ST. PAUL, Minn. - A St. Paul Police officer is recovering from injuries he suffered while attempting to arrest a man Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
Officer Dominic Dzik, a 16-year veteran of the SPPD, was responding to a violation of an order for protection on Cook Avenue East around 1:30 p.m.
He arrived and spoke with a woman who said her neighbor had violated an order for protection earlier in the day, claiming she threatened to assault her.
While Dzik was talking with the woman, a van pulled up to the area. The woman said the suspect, a 25-year-old woman from St. Paul, was in the vehicle. Police say Officer Dzik approached the van to talk to her when the driver, a 28-year-old man, began screaming and swearing at the officer. He then got out of the van and, according to police, kept coming toward the officer.
Officer Dzik eventually maced the man. During the arrest, police say the man hit Officer Dzik in the head eight times. Backup soon arrived and the man continued to fight with Officer Dzik and another officer, so he was maced again. Police finally subdued the man and took him into custody. They say he spit on four officers as well.
The woman in the van was also taken into custody. Officer Dzik was treated for his injuries at Regions Hospital and released.
"Officer Dzik did an outstanding job remaining calm, protecting himself against greater harm and keeping the suspect at the scene until other officers arrived," reads an email to police staff from Assistant Chief Kathy Wuorinen. "This incident demonstrates the dangers our officers face on a daily basis. It's important that the people we serve know this and understand what we know -- even the most mundane calls can turn dangerous in an instant."
