Columbus Man Charged for Swinging at Police Officer

The Columbus Police Department said 58-year-old Charles Giles was drunk when he tried to hit a police officer earlier this month and then spat at an EMT in an ambulance.

Charles Giles (Source: Bartholomew County Jail)

COLUMBUS, Ind. — A Columbus man is in jail for swinging at a police officer and spitting at an EMT.

According to court documents, Charles Giles, 58, was officially charged last week with battery of a public safety officer, a Level 5 felony, for an incident from earlier this month.

On June 10, Columbus police were called out to the 1300 block of California Street on a report of an intoxicated man yelling out slurs in the middle of the street. Police said when they found the man, later identified as Giles, he swung his fist at an officer.

The punch from Giles missed the officer and hit a door, shattering the glass. The broken glass cut an officer, causing him to bleed from his head.

Giles was also bleeding profusely after suffering a large laceration to his forearm. While being taken to a hospital because of his injury, police said Giles spat on an EMT inside the ambulance.

Giles was later booked into Bartholomew County Jail on June 23. He faces up to six years in prison if convicted of the battery charge.