Two Putnam County Sheriff’s Office deputies recently responded to a 911 call about a fight and ended up in a violent struggle with the suspect.
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said one of the deputies was taken to the hospital following the incident.
The suspect, later identified as Adrian Michael Cornejo-Bueno, initially refused medical treatment at the scene and declined transport to the hospital. However, he changed his mind the following day and sought treatment for his injuries.
Cpl. Chris Donovan and Sgt. Justin Brock responded to a residence on East Riverbend Drive on the afternoon of May 21. The homeowners told deputies that their neighbor, Cornejo-Bueno, had come to their house earlier that morning carrying snacks and was “acting psychotic,” according to Donovan’s report.
“(The woman) said her husband allowed him inside, and while Cornejo was in the kitchen, he grabbed her by the wrist and kept saying that he was OK,” Sills said. “She didn’t know what that meant, but she was concerned about a dog he’d brought with him.”
Cornejo-Bueno then reportedly told the couple it was time for him to leave and departed, but returned a short time later and allegedly began choking the husband. Their son reportedly pulled out a gun for protection, prompting Cornejo-Bueno to leave again.
Donovan and Brock observed that the husband had a busted lip and marks around his eyes and arms. While deputies were gathering information from the victims, Cornejo-Bueno returned to the residence.
“Sgt. Brock talked with Cornejo for a brief moment,” Sills read from Donovan’s report. “I observed Cornejo begin to circle around Brock and not listen to him, so I went to the porch to assist. “And Cornejo would not obey Sgt. Brock’s commands, and continued to circle around him in an aggressive manner.”
Donovan attempted to handcuff Cornejo-Bueno, but he pulled away. Donovan then took him to the ground in an effort to place him in handcuffs.
“He started swinging his fists and feet at me,” Donovan wrote in his report. “I struck him on his face, and he grabbed my pistol while I was on top of him. I struck him with my flashlight, and he continued to fight. … During the altercation, Cornejo struck me multiple times on the right side of my face, causing me not to be able to open my mouth.”
The struggle continued until Brock stepped on Cornejo-Bueno’s hand to prevent him from throwing additional punches at Donovan.
“And that was the end of the general melee, I guess,” Sills said.
Because his face was swollen and he was unable to open his mouth, Donovan was taken to Putnam General Hospital for X-rays of his jaw and neck.
Sills said the deputy’s face was “severely swollen, but OK.”
Although Cornejo-Bueno had visible injuries, he refused treatment from Putnam County EMS and declined transport to the hospital. The following day, he requested medical care and received treatment for injuries that included stitches or staples to his head, according to Sills.
Cornejo-Bueno, 36, of East Riverbend Drive in Eatonton, remains in the Putnam County Jail. He faces charges including three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of removal or attempted removal of a weapon from a public official, battery, and two counts of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers by threats or violence.