Calif. Police Officer Attacked Getting Out of Patrol Car

Sept. 20, 2021

A 39-year-old man is accused of punching a Visalia police officer in the face and continuing to hit the officer after he fell backward into his cruiser during a call.

By Tim Sheehan

Source The Fresno Bee

A police officer who spotted a disturbance late Friday night in downtown Visalia was attacked as he got out of his patrol car to investigate.

The incident happened about 11:13 p.m. in the 100 block of East Main Street. Visalia police said the man, Rhys Enloe, 39, of Visalia was not involved in the original fracas, but punched the officer in the face, knocking him backward into the patrol car and kept throwing punches inside the vehicle.

When bystanders rushed to pull Enloe off the officer, the man continued to fight with them and with the officer before more officers arrived, subdued Enloe and arrested him.

Enloe was being held early Saturday at the Tulare County Adult Pre-Trial Facility, where information shows his bail set at $25,000 for a felony charge of obstructing a police officer, and two lesser counts of domestic battery and wearing a mask for unlawful purposes.

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