Police: Kenosha man grabbed officer's genitals during arrest
Jerry Watkins IV
KENOSHA -- A 31-year-old Kenosha man has been charged with four counts in connection to a March 7 arrest -- during which, authorities say, he grabbed a male officer's genitals.
According to a criminal complaint, officers were called to a Kenosha bar for a fight around 2:25 a.m. on March 7. When officers found a group of people arguing outside the bar and attempted to talk them, the group started yelling: "Shut the (expletive) up." The group started walking away despite warnings from multiple officers that they were not free to go and commands to stop.
One of the people in the group, later identified as Jerry Watkins IV, had a small cut on his head that was bleeding, the complaint states, suggesting that he had been involved in the bar fight. Officers attempted to arrest Watkins, but his muscles "tensed up" and he refused to give officers his arm. Officers took Watkins to the ground in an attempt to handcuff him; they were ultimately able to take him into custody.
Watkins refused to get into the squad car, according to the complaint. When an officer attempted to turn him around and get him in the car, the complaint states that Watkins grabbed the officer's pants "in the crotch area" and crushed down on the officer's genitals. After being removed from Watkins' grip, the officer was taken to the hospital and did not sustain any "observable" injuries.
Watkins is charged with the following counts:
He is due in court March 17 for a preliminary hearing.