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WEST JORDAN — A man who once filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the West Jordan Police Department after being bitten by a police K-9 is back in court after allegedly threatening to bite West Jordan police officers.
Martin Lee Hoogveldt, 34, of West Jordan, was charged in May with failing to stop at the command of an officer, a third-degree felony; assault on a police officer, a class A misdemeanor; possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor; interfering with an arresting officer, a class B misdemeanor; and driving on a revoked license and not having insurance, both class C misdemeanors.
On Wednesday, Hoogveldt's case was transferred to mental health court in West Jordan.
According to charging documents, a West Jordan officer attempted to pull over Hoogveldt in May for not having a valid driver's license or insurance. Instead, Hoogveldt sped up while giving a "peace sign" with his hand out the window, the charges state.
A short chase ensued, but officers called it off due to safety concerns. They later located the fleeing vehicle in a nearby neighborhood. Officers found Hoogveldt across the street from his car with "a marijuana pipe hanging around his neck" and smelling "strongly of marijuana," according to charging documents.
When officers attempted to take him into custody, he became combative and began kicking at them.
"Hoogveldt also attempted to bite officers, claiming he was a lion," the charges state.
In 2013, Hoogveldt suffered extensive injuries when a West Jordan police K-9 latched onto his face while officers tried to make an arrest.
Hoogveldt was sitting on a couch in his trailer and had his hands in the air, but he disobeyed commands from officers to get up. Hoogveldt claimed he was too afraid to move. Police feared he might have had a weapon hidden in the couch cushions and was just waiting for an officer to get closer.
Hoogveldt and his attorney, Bob Sykes, filed a lawsuit against the department. They settled out of court a couple of months later. Sykes said his client got $125,000 plus payment of his medical bills.
As part of the settlement, West Jordan did not admit any wrongdoing on the part of its officers.
