Man Used Brass Knuckles During a Fight and Also Spit in an Officer’s Face
Just before 3:00 a.m. on Friday, Missoula Police officers responded to the South Avenue Market regarding a reported disturbance. According to the 911 Dispatch notes, a gray Audi followed and tailgated another motorist, culminating in a physical altercation at the Market. Officers arrived and made contact with four people that were involved.
They said they feared for their safety and eventually pulled into the South Avenue Market parking lot, but the Audi followed them there. Two occupants exited their vehicle and ran inside the Market to ask the clerk for help. One occupant remained in the vehicle and recorded video footage of the Audi driver on her cellphone.
At one point, the clerk approached the Audi and told the driver to leave. The driver exited the vehicle wearing brass knuckles on his right hand and attempted to hit the clerk several times. Eventually, the driver backed away from the clerk. The occupant, still recording the altercation, told the driver to back off and leave. The driver responded by getting in her face and punching her hand with his brass knuckles.
The driver got back into his Audi and fled eastbound on South Avenue. Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh explains.
“While other officers were en route, they were advised that suspect in the vehicle had left the scene and was travelling away from the location,” Welsh said. “An officer on his way there saw a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, but it was in his oncoming lane. The officer had to pull off the side of the roadway to avoid a collision. He turned around and stopped the vehicle, which turned out to be the suspect leaving the scene of the disturbance.”
The driver was identified as 22-year-old Stoney Aragon.
“The officer made contact with the driver and determined that he was exhibiting indications of alcohol consumption,” Welsh said. “The officer eventually arrested the driver for DUI. Other officers passed information on from the disturbance at the convenience store and learned that Mr. Aragon tried to strike persons with fists while wearing brass knuckles.”
During the drive to the police station, Aragon became argumentative and called the officer several derogatory names. Aragon was placed in a holding cell, but he refused to comply with officers’ commands while they were releasing him from handcuffs.
The officers tried to place Aragon back in handcuffs, but he resisted. He called one officer a “f*****g b***h” and spit in the officer’s face. Aragon then physically struggled with the officers as they attempted to take him to the ground. The officers eventually managed to get Aragon into a hobble restraint and a spit hood.
Aragon was charged with four separate felony offenses including two counts of assault with a weapon, criminal endangerment, and attempted assault on a peace officer. He was also charged with criminal trespass to property, assault with a bodily fluid, DUI, obstructing a peace officer, driving with a suspended license, and failure to carry proof of liability insurance. He also had two active warrants for his arrest at the time of this incident.