Police: Burglary suspect injures officer while escaping

LITTLE ROCK, AR - Police say a Little Rock police officer was choked and received a severe knee injury when a suspect tried to escape custody.

According to the incident report, police responded to a theft in progress call at a recycling business on E. 9th Street and arrested 26-year-old Julius Bland and two other men.

Officer Nathan Herpin took Bland to the downtown Detective Division. He says that he noticed that Bland had slipped his hands under his feet to the front of his body so he attempted to re-handcuff Bland. That's when Officer Herpin says Bland broke free and assaulted him.

Bland escaped but was captured a short time later. He has been charged with battery, 1st degree escape, fleeing, breaking and entering and theft of property.

The two men arrested with Bland, Mario Thompson and Eric Jerome Owens, were charged with breaking and entering and theft of property.