An Altus man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly assaulted a state trooper recently on Interstate 44 (Turner Turnpike) in Lincoln County.
Andrew William Luna, 20, was formally charged June 8 in Lincoln County District Court with battery/assault and battery on a police officer, a felony. He also faces two misdemeanor charges.
Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk set a $5,000 bond for Luna. He made his initial appearance on June 9 and was ordered to reappear at 1:30 p.m. on June 24.
The assault and battery charge accuses Luna of striking Trooper Jerrad Real in the leg with a kick, knowing that Real was a Highway Patrol Officer who was preforming his duties as a trooper on May 28 this year in Lincoln County.
Luna is also charged with driving under the influence of alcohol by a person under 21 by operating a blue Hyundai four-door motor vehicle on the public roadway of Interstate 44 in Lincoln County.
He also is accused of transporting an open container of alcoholic beverage by transporting an open bottle of Fireball Whiskey while driving a motor vehicle on I-44 in Lincoln County.
A probable cause affidavit filed in the case states that OHP Capt. Donald Kerr observed the vehicle driven by Luna headed eastbound on I-44 make several unsafe lane changes at the 151 mile marker. Kerr stopped the vehicle, made contact with Luna and noticed he had slurred speech and couldn’t walk without assistance.
State Troopers Real and Qenton Payne arrived at the scene, the affidavit states to assist the OHP captain. Kerr discovered Luna had almost consumed an entire bottle of Fireball Whiskey while driving his vehicle.
Luna was placed under arrest for DUI under 21 years of age.
While Luna was being placed in Trooper Real’s patrol unit, Luna became combative and while being restrained. He slammed his head several times against the ground, kicked Real in the leg several times and “threatened to kill the officers.”
The trooper states while resisting arrest, Luna stated he could not breathe and an EMS was called and Luna was transported to an Edmond hospital.
Luna reportedly was combative with the EMTs and medical staff. Luna was treated and released from the hospital and transported to the Lincoln County Jail in Chandler.
He was combative and fought restraints, slammed his head on the windows of the patrol car and spit all over the inside of the patrol car, the trooper reported.