A 25-year-old Cameron Michael Ward arrested After reportedly attacking a bus driver and attempting to gouge out his eye, a homeless guy from Utah has been charged with numerous offenses.
According to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, 25-year-old Cameron Michael Ward also kicked another officer in the torso so forcefully that the equipment on his vest flew off, attacked a South Salt Lake police officer who had been summoned to investigate, and attempted to seize his pistol.
According to the district attorney’s office, the incident happened on December 20 when Utah Transit driver Neil Uemura pulled his bus into the Millcreek Trax Station and got out, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Before Ward approached him, inquired about his origins, and started striking him in the head and face, Uemura claimed to have seen Ward “slam his body into an electrical box.”
With Ward on top of him, Uemura collapsed to the ground. After returning to punch him and starting to choke him, Ward sprang up and repeatedly kicked him. Uemura stood up, but Ward “swiped at” him and knocked him back down.
Ward then attempted to gouge out his eye, creating a “crescent-shaped wound” on Uemura’s cornea before fleeing the scene.
Uemura, who told police he believed he was targeted because he is Asian-American, had “blood covering most of his head and face… a large laceration on the back of his head, several lacerations on his head and face, and a swollen left eye, and a swollen left bottom lip,” according to Utah Transit Police. He was rushed to the hospital.
Nearly around the same time as the transit officer discovered a shoe on the scene, a South Salt Lake police officer discovered a man who was “soaked in blood and missing a shoe.” This was Ward, who was “extremely upset” and screaming about someone else. Ward approached the officer, who questioned him why he was so bloodied and pointed his flashlight at him. He ignored the police’ requests to sit him down, claiming he wasn’t bloody.
Ward attacked the police, knocking him to the ground and attempted to restrain him until backup came. However, Ward persisted in fighting, grasping for the officer’s gun and attempting to pull it out of its holster. He kicked a cop when more arrived.
Ward was identified as the attacker through surveillance footage. He was charged with attacking Uemura “for no reason and without provocation,” according to police. One case of aggravated assault, two counts of disarming a police officer, two counts of assault against a peace officer, and interference with an arresting officer were filed.
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