By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Lead Reporter - Salina Post
Late Wednesday evening, a witness reported a black truck driving on the sidewalk near the East Iron Avenue and North Ohio Street intersection with a woman repeatedly attempting to exit the vehicle.
The witness reported the concerning activity to Salina Police Department (SPD) officers at about 10:30 p.m. on April 24. Officers then reported to the area and found the black truck in the 1100 block of East Iron Avenue.
"Officers got to the area and observed a black truck driving in the area," said SPD Capt. James Feldman. "[Officers] conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver."
Officers identified the driver as 43-year-old Salina resident Jeremiah Herwig and a 33-year-old female victim in the passenger seat.
The woman told officers that she and Herwig previously had a relationship and that he repeatedly refused to let her leave the truck after asking multiple times.
"Mr. Herwig picked her up, refused to let her out of the vehicle and ended up throwing water at her," Feldman said. "Every time she attempted to exit the vehicle, he sped up."
The repeated attempts to get away from Herwig led him to park in a Casey's parking lot at 1100 East Iron Avenue.
When she began to exit the vehicle again, Herwig tried to pull away, but she fell out of the truck. She feared Herwig would strike her with the car.
"Out of fear, she ended up getting back into the vehicle," Feldman said. "They began to leave the area when officers located them. When officers quickly determined that the subject could be arrested for crimes, they ordered him out of the truck. He refused to get out, so he was forcibly removed from the truck and then ended up trying to strike an officer with a closed fist."
Feldman said after continued resistance, officers deployed a Taser gun, which brought Herwig to the ground, where he continued to resist.
Officers eventually detained Herwig and requested charges for kidnapping, domestic violence aggravated assault, domestic violence battery, assault of a Law Enforcement Officer and felony obstruction.
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