The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

June 30, 2009

Gun grab brings charges

By Dan Nienaber

MANKATO — A law passed last year that makes it a felony to attempt to take a firearm from a law enforcement officer is being used against a St. Peter man who allegedly got into a tussle with police.

Philip Kurtis Schave, 20, appeared in court Tuesday for felony charges of attempting to disarm a peace officer and fourth-degree assault. He also was charged with underage drinking, a misdemeanor.

Two police officers were called to Schave’s campsite at Land of Memories Park at about 1:10 a.m. Sunday after someone called 911 to make a loud party complaint. One of the officers attempted to arrest Schave after becoming suspicious Schave was intoxicated.

Schave allegedly started punching both officers, ripping the name tag and badge from one of the officer’s uniforms. That officer also reported Schave grabbed for the handle of his gun, pulling one of the retention straps open. Prior to a change in the law last year, attempting to grab a police officer’s weapon was not a felony level offense.

After Schave was subdued with a zap from a Taser device, he was taken into custody. Both officers also reported receiving minor injuries during the struggle. The injuries were described as scrapes and bruises.

A second man also was arrested after he ran from the campsite, Mankato police said. Two anglers fishing at the park were able to point the officers to where 20-year-old Cody Dan Mattocks, also of St. Peter, was allegedly hiding. He was found on an island just north of the park.

Mattocks also was in jail through the weekend and appeared in court Tuesday for a gross misdemeanor charge of giving a false name to a police officer and a misdemeanor charge of fleeing police on foot.

Two other people who were also at the campsite were not arrested. One was a 20-year-old St. Peter woman who was cited for underage drinking. The other person was a 15-year-old boy who hadn’t been drinking.

Schave’s bail was set at $10,000 during his court appearance.

Bail was set at $1,000 for Mattocks.

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