Bar fight results in two arrests; man allegedly kicks officer in the head during altercation
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IDAHO FALLS — Two locals have been arrested and charged after a bar fight resulted in a police officer allegedly being kicked in the head on Sunday morning.
Benjamin Acevedo Jr. was charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer, felony possession of a controlled substance, felony destruction of evidence, and misdemeanor charges for resisting arrest and battery. If Acevedo is found guilty, he faces up to 24 years in prison.
Briana Christine Diaz was charged with two felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest. Diaz faces a potential punishment of up to 11 years in prison.
According to court documents, Idaho Falls Police were dispatched to a disturbance at Ford’s Bar on A Street at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, when multiple people were fighting.
When officers arrived, they removed multiple people from the bar to de-escalate the situation.
When an officer began to remove Diaz from on top of another unknown man, she punched that officer in the chest. To put Diaz into handcuffs, another officer came to assist. Diaz threw another punch at the assisting officer. The document states Diaz told officers to get off her, and officers began to remove Diaz from the bar.
When they were outside, Diaz fell to the ground when Acevedo kicked one of the officers in the head, and he also kicked Diaz in the head.
A now-unavailable TikTok video sent to EastIdahoNews.com shows Diaz on the ground with officers on top of her, and Acevedo is seen approaching, accompanied by a thudding noise.
Acevedo was placed under arrest, and when officers attempted to put handcuffs on him, he actively pulled away.
The document states Acevedo was attempting to discard and conceal a white crystal-like substance, which was later tested to be methamphetamine and weighed 1.05 grams.
Diaz was then successfully placed in handcuffs. The document states she resisted when cuffs were applied and when she was put into a patrol car.
No serious injuries were reported within the documents, but Diaz and Acevedo were taken to the hospital before jail.
Acevedo is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Wiley Dennert at 1 p.m. on Aug. 22, and Diaz is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Tawnya Rawlings at 1 p.m. on Aug. 20.
Though Acevedo and Diaz have been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.