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SPRINGVILLE — A Provo man was charged Tuesday with attacking a police officer and fracturing the officer's eye socket.
Investigators say the man only stopped the assault when a good Samaritan stopped to help.
Paul Douglas Anderson, 40, is charged in 4th District Court with aggravated assault of a law enforcer, aggravated escape and aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies; obstructing justice, a second-degree felony; failing to stop at the command of an officer, a class A misdemeanor; and criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor.
On Friday, a Springville police officer spotted Anderson taking things from a Tabitha's Way food pantry donation box, according to charging documents. The officer ordered the man to get out of the box and then ordered him to put both hands behind his back.
That's when Anderson broke free, "turned around and … struck the officer in his eye, fracturing the eye socket. The defendant continued to hit the officer, resulting in severe lacerations," the charges state.
A bystander with a concealed weapons permit who saw what was happening drew his gun and told Anderson to stop attacking the officer, according to police.
Anderson ran off and tried to break into a nearby residence but couldn't open the door, the charges state. A short time later, Anderson was found hiding nearby and was taken into custody.
