Officer assault suspect arrested

A man suspected of running over a Coeur d'Alene police officer's foot while fleeing a traffic stop last weekend was arrested Thursday in Hayden.

Jesse Daniel Upchurch, 25, was stopped for speeding late Saturday night on Fourth Street, just north of Harrison.

Officer Shane Avriett learned Upchurch, of Coeur d'Alene, was on probation for burglary and out past his 9 p.m. curfew. This prompted an attempted search of Upchurch's vehicle by Avriett and another officer.

Before the search, Upchurch allegedly voluntarily handed the officer a metal marijuana pipe, and Avriett asked him to step out of the car. When Upchurch began instead to start the car and put it into gear, the officer reached through the driver's window and struggled with Upchurch.

"I found myself partially in the driver's door window of the car during this struggle as Jesse drove away quick enough to leave acceleration marks on the parking lot asphalt," Avriett wrote. "As Jesse sped away, my left foot was run over by his left rear wheel and I felt pain in my toes."

Upchurch allegedly fled northbound and drove through the Runge Furniture parking lot without any lights on, and was able to elude Avriett and the other officer.

Avriett was not seriously injured. While he was at Kootenai Health being cleared to continue working, Upchurch's vehicle was found, unoccupied near the intersection of Lincoln Way and LaCrosse Avenue.

Late Saturday, multiple law enforcement agencies assisted Coeur d'Alene police in a search for Upchurch.

"Officers along with the help of Air 1 and KCSD K9 unit are searching the area from Government Way to Northwest Blvd and the Lacrosse Ave to Emma Ave. Please stay in your homes as there is an increased police presence in that area," stated an 11:42 p.m. status update on the police department's Facebook page.

The search was terminated after an hour.

A warrant was issued and Upchurch was picked up without incident.

He was booked into Kootenai County jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, assault or battery on a police officer and felony eluding.