Austin man sentenced for spitting on cop

Published 11:14 am Friday, October 14, 2011

A 21-year-old Austin man accused of shoving, threatening and spitting at a Mower County deputy was sentenced to two years of probation Thursday.

Kyler Michael Inez Morehouse received credit for time already served in jail, according to court records; however, the records did not specify how many days he was in jail.

Morehouse was convicted of assaulting a police officer and obstructing with the legal process. Both charges are gross misdemeanors. A felony assault charge and one misdemeanor were dismissed when Morehouse entered into a plea agreement.

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According to a court complaint, Mower County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a fight at an underage drinking party on 235th St., less than a mile east of Todd Park in Austin, around 1 a.m. on June 4. When officers arrived, they saw several people running into surrounding fields. According to a court complaint, officers then rounded up about 20 people who were younger than 21, and saw Morehouse — who appeared drunk — lying on the ground shirtless, with cuts and blood on his back, chest and face.

According to the complaint, the deputies called him over, and he cursed at them and began walking away. One deputy grabbed him by the arm, and Morehouse reportedly cursed at him again and shoved him. Morehouse then pulled away and swung at the officer, and a second officer Tasered Morehouse in the back, according to court records.

Deputies then tried to arrest him, and he started flailing his arms and legs, so he was Tasered again and handcuffed.

Once in a squad car, the court complaint said, Morehouse slipped his handcuffs to the front of his body, and began kicking the windows and punching the partition. Deputies warned him to stop, and after he didn’t, a deputy squirted him with pepper spray. Morehouse then reportedly threatened the deputy and began spitting at him.

—Adam Harringa contributed to this report.