AUSTIN — Police arrested a man who is accused of trespassing into multiple Central East Austin backyards while he was allegedly under the influence of a believed PCP and attempting to evade police.
According to an arrest affidavit, Christopher Brown, 37, is charged with evading arrest or detention, assault on a public servant and public intoxication, stemming from incidents that began Saturday afternoon.
Police said a woman called them out to a neighborhood in between Windsor Park and Highway 290 March 31 after she reported a "prowler" in her backyard. The woman told officials her backyard has a 6-foot tall fence and trees surrounding it, making it difficult for a person to walk into her backyard. Police said they found the suspect, identified as Brown, crouching down while wearing a tank top and blue jean shorts in the woman's backyard, about 100 feet away from the back door. Police said when they approached Brown, he appeared confused and his eyes were wide open. Brown also showed signs of fear or paranoia, which led police to believe he was under the influence of a possible PCP, according to the documents.
According to the website Drugs.com, side effects of PCP, an anesthetic drug also known as angel dust, include hallucinations, delirium and mania.
After observing Brown's behavior, police said they decided to detain him to figure out if he needed medical attention. However, as police walked toward Brown, he hopped over the woman's fence and ran away, the affidavit said. Brown allegedly ran through neighboring properties and hopped over fences to escape police, prompting them to set up a perimeter to stop him from fleeing.
According to the documents, Police caught Brown without incident at a parking lot a block away from the first backyard. Police said they frisked Brown for weapons once he was in custody and requested for EMS to check him after noticing a high heart rate, possibly brought on by a PCP. While in custody, police said it was hard to get EMS to transport Brown to the hospital because he was allegedly shouting vulgarities and rambling about Michael Jordan, OJ Simpson, and Lebron James.
Police said Brown told them to take him to jail instead of a hospital, and they complied.
At the jail, Brown continued to make verbal threats and argue with law enforcement, according to the documents. Police said he was combative and wouldn't calm down when asked. As a result, the Travis County Sheriff's Office put Brown in an isolation cell, according to the affidavit.
Investigators said a nurse made a note of Brown's high blood pressure and raised heart rate and suggested he be taken to an ER for further evaluation. However, Brown reportedly continued to act combative with sheriff's office deputies and began flailing his arms.
To gain control of Brown, deputies said they grabbed his arms, while he struggled against their effort. At one point, Brown allegedly started chewing the boot of a deputy correction's officer before biting the deputy's left calf. The deputy said the bite caused him pain and the bite mark was visible.
Eventually, Law enforcement restrained Brown with handcuffs and officials placed a spit-hood over his head after the biting incident.
According to the documents, Brown has a criminal history of evading arrest: once in 1999 and a second time in 2015.
Brown is in the Travis County Jail. His bond is set at $25,000.
