Contributed Photo/Courtesy GCSO: Cody Goodman was booked into the jail on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and possession of a narcotic drug, dangerous drug, and drug paraphernalia after fighting with an officer Sunday night.
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – While there may be times when being a police officer appears to be run-of-the-mill, those times are more than offset by life or death instances.
Such an instance happened to a Safford officer Sunday night when he responded to a suspicious person call off Apricot Loop at about 7:54 p.m. and ended up getting into a severe altercation with a man carrying various drugs.
The officer patrolled the area and was in the area of 12th Avenue and 29th Place when he came upon man walking into the parking lot of the Valley Apartments.
The officer contacted the man, identified as Cody Goodman, 34, and he said he was just walking from a convenience market south of Safford. The officer believed Goodman, who was also wearing a backpack, fit the modus operandi of a burglar who had been striking the area and proceeded to question him further.
When asked what he had in his pockets, Goodman allegedly advised he only had a flashlight. Further inspection showed a tube with apparent drug residue and items commonly used as a tourniquet used by those who ingest drugs intravenously.
When the officer asked Goodman to hand over the alleged drug paraphernalia, Goodman took off running and refused to stop despite the officer’s commands.
Goodman jumped over a barbed wire fence into the desert with the officer in tow. When Goodman tripped over some bushes, the officer threatened to use his TASER. Goodman refused to yield, however, and the officer deployed his TASER in to Goodman’s back. The electric shock appeared to have no effect on Goodman, who swiped the probes out and continued to flee.
The officer then grabbed Goodman and the two tussled, with Goodman allegedly attempting to punch the officer his face but hit his shoulder-mounted body camera instead. The officer then forced Goodman back to the ground and Goodman struck the officer twice in his face, according to the officer’s report. The officer then returned punches, hitting Goodman “around seven or eight” times in his face, including his eye, nose, and mouth.
Goodman continued to struggle, however, and reached for the officer’s duty handgun which was on his belt, according to the officer’s report. Goodman would later deny reaching for the gun and said he was only reaching for the officer’s belt.
The officer reported that he forcibly removed Goodman’s hand from the officer’s gun and delivered several more punches to Goodman’s face as the suspect continued to attempt to grab items off the officer’s belt. The officer then deployed pepper spray (Oleoresin Capsicum) to Goodman’s face and another officer arrived at about that time and assisted placing Goodman into custody.
While searching Goodman, officers located 1.9 grams of heroin, .8 of a gram of methamphetamine, and various pieces of drug paraphernalia.
Goodman was transported by paramedics with Lifeline Ambulance to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries. After he was medically cleared, he was booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of a dangerous drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The officer was also treated at the hospital and received a tetanus shot.
While being booked, Goodman admitted to having a substance abuse problem but denied burglarizing any residences.
