Police: Man fights cop to get into MADD meeting
A man who arrived a halfhour late for a court-ordered meeting for drunken drivers Monday night wanted in so badly, police say, that he tried to punch his way past a Colorado Springs police officer.
Told that late arrivals weren't allowed in the meeting hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Colorado, Dustin Lee Chady bolted for the double doors marking the entrance, then took several swings at a police officer who dragged him out of a room filled with 200 other people, most of them fellow drunken drivers, police and a witness said.
"He said that if he couldn't get into the class that night that he'd have to go to jail," Colorado Springs police Lt. Mark Compte said.
Chady, who turned 25 on Monday, did go to jail after the confrontation at The Springs Funeral Services, 3115 E. Platte Ave. - but on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, a fourth-degree felony. His bond was set at $10,000, jail records show.
Officer J.D. Walker, who was providing security as an extraduty assignment, suffered minor injuries.
In Colorado, many drunken drivers are required to attend a victim impact panel hosted by MADD.
The meetings feature people whose lives have been touched by the crime, either because they lost a loved one to a drunken driving crash or were themselves injured. Police and first responders are frequently in attendance to discuss their experiences.
Chady, with one previous conviction for drunken driving, was arrested in 2006 on suspicion of possessing marijuana and driving while impaired, a misdemeanor. In January 2007, he pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received a deferred sentence of 16 months in jail, meaning he would not have to serve the time if he met court-ordered requirements such as paying fines, undergoing an alcohol assessment and attending the MADD panel.
He had a court hearing - likely his last - scheduled for Aug. 31, records show. The MADD meetings are held once a month.
Chady claimed he went to the wrong location and briefly stopped at home before arriving at the meeting on East Platte Avenue, said Pam VanOverbeck of MADD, who spoke to Chady before the fight.
Walker dodged several punches from Chady before the officer punched him at least twice in the face, she said. The nonprofit pays the Police Department to provide security at its meetings, and Walker was wearing his uniform.
"If anybody saw anything it was him being removed from the room," VanOverbeck said of the other participants.
Walker, who suffered a cut on his knuckle, received a tetanus shot Monday night. Compte said Walker responded with force because Chady continued swinging at him as the officer tried to restrain him.
There was no evidence that Chady was under the influence Monday night, Compte said.
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Contact the writer: 636-0366 or lance.benzel@gazette.com
