Homeless Man Arrested After Allegedly Punching Burbank Police Officer
BURBANK (CBSLA) — A homeless man has been arrested after allegedly punching a Burbank police officer.
According to the Burbank Police Department, officers responded to Five Guys Burgers, 201 East Magnolia Boulevard, Thursday at about 5 p.m. after receiving reports that a man punched the manager of the restaurant in what appeared to be an unprovoked attack.
When officers arrived, they located the suspect, identified as 28-year-old Duane Godard, near the intersection of Magnolia Boulevard and Third Street. According to the department, Godard is a local transient who is accused of committed several recent random and unprovoked assaults on citizens.
The first officer on the scene engaged Godard in a conversation and ordered him to set his belongings down, according to the department. Godard allegedly refused and the officer then attempted to grab hold of his arm in an effort to detain him.
The department said that was when Godard allegedly began punching the officer in the head, knocking them both to the ground where Godard reportedly placed the officer in a head lock.
Other officers then rushed to assist the first officer. Godard was not injured in the incident and was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody.
The officer involved in the incident sustained a head injury and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but was said to be recovering Friday.
According to the police department, Godard has been arrested four times in the city of Burbank for alleged unprovoked assaults on citizens. He was arrested in June on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly stealing a person's cell phone and smashing it over their head. He has also been arrested on suspicion of punching a mentally disabled man and assaulting a woman after following her.
Godard was booked on suspicion of battery causing bodily injury and was being held on $50,000 bail. He is scheduled to be in court Monday.
