Port Angeles man charged with third-degree assault of an officer

PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man has been charged in connection with a Saturday attack on a law enforcement officer.

Yanzie Alan Bollerslev, 54, was charged Monday with third-degree assault for allegedly scratching city police Officer Eric Walker as he was being handcuffed Saturday near the corner of First and Laurel streets in downtown Port Angeles.

Clallam County Superior Court Judge Brian Coughenour granted county Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols’ request for a $50,000 bail for Bollerslev on Monday.

Bollerslev was removed from a video conference room in the jail after shoving the defendants’ table, according to the minutes of his preliminary hearing.

Bollerslev is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Friday.

Port Angeles police responded to a report of a disturbance at First and Lincoln streets at 3:07 p.m. Saturday and found a shirtless Bollerslev shouting from the northwest corner of the intersection, according to the affidavit for probable cause.

A witness reported that Walker had been shouting and punching a lamp post.

“As I was exiting my patrol car, Bollerslev was approaching me very aggressively,” Walker said in the affidavit.

“He had his fists balled up and was yelling at me ‘get back in your f——— car!’ ”

Walker said he drew his stun gun and held it down at waist level.

“Bollerslev kept advancing and shouted something along the lines of ‘You gonna f——— tase me?!’ ” Walker said.

Walker said he told Bollerslev to stop and pointed his stun gun at Bollerslev, who continued to approach with his fists balled while shouting obscenities.

“I deployed my Taser when Bollerslev was within 10 feet of me and still advancing because I believed Bollerslev would have assaulted me had he gotten to me,” Walker said.

Bollerslev fell to his stomach with his hands underneath him after the stun gun was deployed, Walker said.

Walker said he and Officer Kyle Cooper struggled to handcuff Bollerslev, who was resisting arrest.

Walker activated his stun gun for another five seconds, allowing the officers to free Bollerslev’s arms.

“Bollerslev flipped over on his back and while I had his left arm, he scratched my left wrist, causing it to bleed in two different places,” Walker said.

Bollerslev continued to be uncooperative as he was being cleared for incarceration at Olympic Medical Center, Walker said.

“I asked Bollerslev what led to the incident and all he said was he was out of Camel cigarettes,” Walker said.

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.