Ammon man charged in Bingham County after struggle with deputies

BLACKFOOT (Courtroom Insider) — An Ammon man has received criminal charges in Bingham County after a struggle with law enforcement officers in which he reached for a knife, according to court documents.

Christopher Curtis Williams, 43, has been charged with two counts of battery on a police officer or sheriff, a felony charge, and one count of obstructing and delaying an officer, a misdemeanor.

Court documents say that on Saturday, deputies were near the Sage Hill Casino when they witnessed a vehicle commit a traffic violation. Deputies initiated a traffic stop and pulled the vehicle over.

Deputies reportedly noted that the driver and Williams, who was riding in the passenger seat, were behaving suspiciously, prompting law enforcement to check both individuals for warrants. Neither Williams nor the driver was found to have active warrants, but deputies did find that Williams was on probation.

Due to the suspicious behavior, deputies called a K9 unit, and an officer from the Blackfoot Police Department responded.

The driver and Williams both allegedly refused to get out of the vehicle, leading to the struggle. The driver was removed from the vehicle with relatively little issue and was placed in handcuffs, but Williams allegedly required two deputies and the Blackfoot police officer to remove and detain him.

As they tried to get Williams out of the vehicle, Williams allegedly kicked law enforcement officers. They managed to pull him out and take him to the ground, according to court documents.

Documents allege that while they tried to gain control of Williams, he kept reaching for his waistband. Deputies said they feared Williams was reaching for a weapon and restrained his arms until they could place him in handcuffs.

While searching Williams, deputies allegedly found a pocket knife on his left side, where Williams had been reaching during the struggle.

In addition, court documents say authorities found multiple drug paraphernalia items in the vehicle, as well as a “Rambo-style knife” in the passenger side door that Williams had allegedly reached for just before the fight.

If found guilty of the charges, Williams may face up to 11 years in prison and may be required to pay fines of up to $101,000.

Williams is being represented by a public defender. The Idaho State Public Defender’s office does not comment on pending cases.

He is set to appear in court on Sept. 3 for a preliminary hearing.

Although Williams has been charged with a crime, that does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.