Man strikes two officers with vehicle following welfare check

A welfare check on a 36-year old Bloomington man early Sunday escalated into battery with a deadly weapon against police officers, resulting in the man's arrest, Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Joe Crider said.

At approximately 3:13 a.m. Sunday, police responded to the 800 block of South Basswood Drive to check on Jason Paul Zimmerly after a call from his mother reporting that Zimmerly could be suicidal.

Police did not find him in the apartment, but found a man sitting in a 1997 back Saab 900. Police shined a flashlight in the vehicle in an effort to identify the man, but in response, the man shifted the vehicle into reverse, nearly hitting two police officers.

The man then placed the car into drive and struck an officer. Shifting to reverse once more, he backed up and struck a second officer before driving away.

At about 3:40 a.m., police located the vehicle, now unoccupied, at the 900 block of South Copper Beach Way. Officers performed surveillance on it until, at 5:20 a.m., a male was seen approaching the vehicle. The male was identified as Zimmerly.

The officer positioned her vehicle to prevent Zimmerly from leaving in the car, then negotiated with him until he turned off the vehicle and agreed to be taken into custody.

Zimmerly denied striking the officers with his car and said he was trying to leave with his vehicle merely because he did not wish to speak to the police.

He was later taken to IU Health. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the incident. Doctors cleared Zimmerly, at which point he was taken to jail on two preliminary counts of battery with a deadly weapon, one count of resisting arrest and one of criminal recklessness. All are felonies.

Neither of the officers struck by the car were injured.

- Max McCombs