Two Bend officers hurt in struggle with assault suspect

A Portland man accused of assaulting two people on a northeast Bend street Wednesday afternoon injured two police officers as they struggled to arrest him in the aisles of a nearby Albertsons grocery store, prompting the use of a special restraint device to subdue him, officers said.

Around 2:20 p.m., officers responded to the area of Northeast Third Street and Penn Avenue regarding two separate assaults that had just occurred involving the same suspect, later identified as Veikoso Koloti Moala, 33, of Portland, Lt. Ken Mannix said in a news release.

Deschutes County 911 dispatchers had received several calls about a man who had just assaulted a woman and man, then left the scene, walking north on Third Street, Mannix said. One caller watched as Moala walked into the Albertsons at Third Street and Revere Avenue.

Officers found Moala walking through the store, approached and tried to take him into custody, but he refused to comply and resisted arrest, Mannix said.

After a brief struggle that injured two officers, Moala was taken into custody. Mannix said the two officers were treated for their injuries at the scene.

“In an attempt to de-escalate the situation and prevent further injury to officers and the suspect, the WRAP restraint device was utilized,” Mannix said.

Although Moala “was very uncooperative,” no one else was injured, the lieutenant said. It was not certain whether drugs, alcohol or other issues were factors in what occurred.

Moala was lodged at the county jail on two counts each of assault on a public safety officer, fourth-degree assault and resisting arrest, as well as one charge of interfering with a police officer and three counts of disorderly conduct. He remained held early Thursday on $47,500 bail.