A Gainesville man was arrested early Wednesday morning in connection with hitting an officer and swallowing crack cocaine.
At about 2 a.m., Gainesville Police Officer John Pandak stopped a man near 1100 N.W. Fifth Ave. while he was walking, the GPD arrest report stated.
Because Pandak recognized the man, Eugene Knight, 19, as a narcotics offender, he asked Knight to open his mouth to check for cocaine.
When Pandak grabbed Knight's arm to get a better look, Knight swung his other arm at Pandak, hitting him in the head.
According to the report, the defendant was "placed" on the ground, where he continued to thrash. Pandak attempted to remove the cocaine from Knight's mouth while handcuffing him. Then Knight swallowed the cocaine to destroy the evidence, the report stated.
Knight told the officer he was "smoking dirty," lacing a cigarette or marijuana cigarette with cocaine, the report stated.
Knight was charged with resisting an officer with violence, tampering with evidence and possessing a controlled substance.
