Sheriff: Two Cole County deputies assaulted on separate calls

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two Cole County deputies were assaulted during calls Wednesday, though the sheriff's department didn't say whether they were injured or detail their medical conditions.

Both incidents happened Wednesday night. In the first, an off-duty sheriff's department detective was working at Hy-Vee in Jefferson City when a man and woman tried to take "a large amount of alcohol" without paying for it, according to a Cole County Sheriff's Department news release. The two agreed to come back into the store after talking to the detective, but the man assaulted the detective on the way in, according to the release.

A group of people at the store helped the deputy by calling 911 and picking up his body camera to film the incident, the release says. The alcohol was worth more than $800, the department said.

The man was arrested on suspicion of felony theft and resisting arrest and assault of a law enforcement officer. The woman was arrested on suspicion of felony theft. The sheriff's department did not name them but said theft charges are expected.

The second incident happened at about 10:15 p.m. when a deputy tried to stop a vehicle that was driving erratically. Deputies arrested a woman with a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit after a chase of about 2 minutes, according to a news release. The woman assaulted workers at the Cole County Jail, the release says.

She was arrested on suspicion of persistent DWI, careless and imprudent driving, driving without a license, resisting arrest, attempted escape and assault of a law enforcement officer. The sheriff's department did not provide a name, citing pending charges.