Soap Lake Man Arrested After Assaulting, Choking Police Officer

Thanks to help from another person at the location, a Soap Lake Police Officer was able to subdue and arrest a suspect who assaulted him.

   The suspect tried to choke, eye gouge officer

Wednesday evening, around 8:30 PM Officer Rowland of the SLPD was called to a home at 25 Elder Street North in Soap Lake about a disturbance.

When he arrived, 30-year-old Derek M. Clark repeatedly grabbed the officer by the throat as he was trying to take him into custody, then used his thumb to repeatedly try to gouge the officer's left eye.

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Another person at the scene, a bystander, offered help and was able to assist Officer Rowland in subduing Clark and handcuffing him. Grant County Sheriff's Deputies and other Soap Lake officers also responded, and Clark was taken to the Grant County Jail. He is facing multiple felony charges from the incident, other charges are expected as the investigation continues.

Both Clark and Officer Rowland were treated at a nearby medical facility then released.

The GCSO will handle the rest of the investigation.