7 Peninsula Officers Injured In Struggle With Belmont 'Bodybuilder'

MENLO PARK, CA — Multiple officers in two Peninsula cities sustained injuries Saturday in separate incidents involving a Belmont man in distress, according to police.

According to law enforcement, the first encounter happened early Saturday in Belmont, where officers responded to a domestic disturbance call on Ralston Avenue. Police said the man sped away from officers in a vehicle and got in a scuffle with them after the car came to a stop. Two officers were injured during the incident, and the man was taken to the hospital with a head injury. Both officers were treated for minor injuries.

Police said the man's injuries were serious enough to warrant hospital care, but he left the facility and was spotted in Menlo Park later in the afternoon. Officers quickly received reports of a shirtless man, who witnesses described as a "bodybuilder," acting erratically and running into traffic while bleeding from the head.

Officers located the man and said he appeared agitated and in an altered mental state, requesting medical personnel while they attempted to de-escalate the situation. Police said the man ran through busy traffic and attempted to break into occupied homes on Cotton Street while officers tried to stop him.

Police deployed a Taser and other "less-lethal" devices but failed to subdue the man, resulting in a three-minute physical struggle before he was placed in handcuffs. The man was again taken to the hospital for injuries resulting from both incidents.

Five Menlo Park police officers were treated for injuries at the hospital and later released. Police said some officers suffered significant injuries, but none that were life-threatening.

Anyone who witnessed the encounter or has information that could help the case can call the Menlo Park Police Department at 650-330-6300 or contact the anonymous tip line at 650-330-6395.

Bay City News contributed to this report.