Prescott Police Arrested A Phoenix Man Early Monday Morning After Assaulting Police Officers

Prescott Police arrested a Phoenix man early Monday morning after he assaulted two police officers. Officers responded to an area of State Route 89A and Granite Dells Parkway at around 12:23 a.m., upon a report of a reckless driver heading west on State Route 89A. While looking for the driver, officers were told the vehicle was driving at a high rate of speed with a gas pump hose still attached to the vehicle. Officers located the car on Granite Dells Parkway and got the driver to pull over. Upon contacting the driver, they asked if he had any weapons, which he said no. As the driver got out, officers saw a 10-inch Bowie-style knife, unsheathed next to the driver’s seat. The man, identified as 59-year-old Darren Runyon of Phoenix, was taken away from the car. While doing so, Runyon tried to walk back to the car several times, against officers’ orders. As an officer tried to stop him, Runyon punched the officer in the chest. He was immediately taken to the ground where he continued to resist arrest and bit another officer on the leg. He was finally taken away without further incident. A search of Runyan’s vehicle turned up several other knives. He was arrested and booked into the Yavapai County Jail on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and misconduct involving weapons. The officers were not seriously injured in the attack.