Crime & Safety

CHP Stun Hallucinating Man After Attack

California Highway Patrol used a Conductive Energy Weapon to stun a man who allegedly lashed out at officers while hallucinating on LSD Friday morning.

California Highway Patrol arrested a man who allegedly lashed out at officers while hallucinating on LSD Friday morning, according to CHP spokesperson Eric Hohmeister.

San Rafael resident Jonathan Tillson, 18, was booked in on charges of resisting a peace officer, battery and assault on a peace officer and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

At approximately 2:33 a.m. on June 29, CHP observed a vehicle stopped in the roadway while traveling northbound on Civic Center Drive, south of Peter Behr Drive. The driver of the vehicle told officers that he had stopped to assist a pedestrian who he had seen stumbling in the road and shouting for help, according to Hohmeister.

“CHP officers located the pedestrian near the rear of the witnesses vehicle, on his hands and knees in the roadway, vomiting,” he said.

The man, identified as Tillson, allegedly charged at the officers while shouting expletives. The officers handcuffed him, but Tillson brought his restrained arms underneath his feet while sitting on the ground, jumped up and swung at the face of the officers, Hohmeister said.

“The officer and Tillson then both fell to the ground. During the course of the struggle, Tillson kicked the second CHP officer twice and continued to struggle violently,” he said.

The second officer used a Conductive Energy Weapon (CEW) in the stun function, without deploying probes, to the leg and shoulder of Tillson to gain compliance, but the weapon had little effect, Hohmeister said.

Tillson continued to kick, punch and spit and it took a total of six officers to successfully restrain him.

The suspect was taken to for minor abrasions on his upper torso. The officers involved were not injured.

“Tillson continued to act bizarrely and appeared to be hallucinating on multiple occasions,” Hohmeister said. “[He] later related he had taken LSD.”



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