77. Man with communicable diseases arrested after allegedly hurling pillow at Edgewater cop

Originally posted Tue, 2009-10-13 02:19

Courtesy photo/Edgewater police mug. Erik John Batty, 39, of Edgewater, was charged Oct. 12 with battery on a law enforcement offcer, after allegedly throwing a pillow at a police officer that may have contained communicable germs since he's known to have certain communicable diseases as evidenced in the photo.

EDGEWATER -- Throwing a pillow at a police officer during a disturbance call landed an Edgewater man in jail Sunday on battery charges since the man is known to have commuinicable diseases, police said.

Erik John Batty, 39, was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer afer police responded to a disturbance call at the man's Edgewater residence after his father, George Batty, went to check on him that afternoon in the Driftwood Mobile Home Park on South Ridgewood Avenue and he became combattive, according to the police report.

Edgewater police officer Miles Lawler placed the younger Batty under arrest after he hurled the pillow at him, which the officer was concerned was a biohazard because of the man's unspecified illnesses.

The officer was able to deflect the pillow. Police did not name the illnesses the younger Batty suffers from. Batty was being held on $1,500 bail at the Volusia County Branch Jail.