Police say an officer used a taser to stop a man who allegedly started a fight in downtown State College early Tuesday morning then escaped and resisted arrest.
According to a criminal complaint, at about 1:50 a.m. staff at McDonald’s, 442 E. College Ave., called State College Police about a physical altercation on the 100 block of Sowers Street.
Witnesses told police that a man was sitting on his bicycle and speaking to the McDonald’s manager near the restaurant’s west entrance when a group of people walked by on the opposite side of the street. According to the complaint, a woman in the group had urinated herself, and she told police the man made a comment about it. The man and McDonald’s staff denied that he did.
Police said that Behailu N. Streit, 26, of State College, crossed the street to confront the man, knocking him off his bike. Several members of the group ran over to pull Streit away but he broke free to return and attack the man again, according to the complaint.
Officers arrived a short time later and Streit fled, police said. An officer on bike patrol tried to stop him near the corner of East College Avenue and South Garner Street, but Streit reportedly broke free of the officer’s hold on his arm and ran west on Calder Way. Police said Streit broke free a second time behind Lion’s Den and continued to run.
According to the complaint, Streit was located running into and through the Pugh Street Garage and broke away once more. Police said the officer issued two warnings and then used a taser to subdue him. While the officer was on top of him, the taser wore off and Streit allegedly continued to fight until another officer arrived to assist.
Streit reportedly had a strong odor of alcohol and a preliminary breath test yielded a .16 blood alcohol content.
He was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest, escape and simple assault, as well as summary counts of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
Police said Streit told them he was leaving in one week to spend four months in Kenya. At his preliminary arraignment on Tuesday morning, District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker set straight bail at $200,000.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2.
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