By Whitney Vickers
YELLOW SPRINGS — David Carlson, 29, of Fairborn, was arrested in Yellow Springs and taken to the Greene County Jail within the first few hours of the new year.
According to the Yellow Springs Police Department, hundreds of locals had gathered for the village’s annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop event, calling for police presence.
Police said Carlson appeared intoxicated and started leaning onto an occupied police cruiser, in which he was asked to move away from the vehicle and refused. Officers responded by attempting to force the door open, in which police said Carlson started pushing the door back.
Upon the door being opened, an officer exited the vehicle with a taser in-hand, which was grabbed by Carlson before he took off into the crowd, according to police.
When police were able to stop Carlson, he struggled; an officer deployed a taser unsuccessfully, according to police, and Carlson escaped into the crowd once again.
However, Carlson would be arrested without incident approximately 12:52 a.m. after police were called to The Dayton Street Gulch, a local bar on the 100 block of Dayton Street, for a possible physical altercation. He was taken to the Greene County Jail on two charges: assault, a felony of the fourth degree; and obstructing official business, a felony of the fifth degree.
Court records indicate that he was charged with obstructing official business, a felony of the fifth degree; and theft, a misdemeanor of the first degree as of Tuesday, Jan. 3. The taser has yet to be found.
Our partners at WDTN reported that a number of spectators said the incident involving Carlson wasn’t the only conflict that took place at the village’s annual New Year’s Eve event.
“Three police cars in there full sirens, take down lights, flashing bars going,” Attendee David Roche said to WDTN. “I mean, you’re creating pandemonium.”
In response, village officials opened up the John Bryan Community Center gymnasium Tuesday evening to discuss the New Year’s Eve happenings.
