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3 Routt County deputies hurt during incident with inmate

Matt Stensland/Steamboat Today

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Three Routt County Sheriff’s Office deputies were injured during a scuffle with a jail inmate Sunday night.

Keak C. Taing

Keak C. Taing, 47, was being held at the jail until a bed became available at a state-run mental health hospital.
He now faces three counts of felony second-degree assault and charges of felony attempt to escape and misdemeanor obstruction of a government operation.

Shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday, deputies learned Taing put toilet paper in the lock of a cell door, and he was threatening to hit anyone who entered the cell with a broom, according to an arrest affidavit.

“He was also observed to have some type of padding or stuffing in the front of his issued jail pants as if he was intending on protecting himself in the groin area,” the affidavit states.

Deputies tried to get Taing to put down the broom and step away from the door.

“Taing refused and remained in a fighting stance at the ready,” the affidavit states.

Three Steamboat Springs Police Department officers came to help extract Taing from the cell. When the door was opened, Taing charged a deputy and hit the deputy’s face with the broom handle, the affidavit states.

A Taser was fired, but it was ineffective.

While being subdued, Taing continued to fight and bit a deputy on the arm, according to the affidavit.

During the altercation, a second deputy received finger injuries. A third deputy sprained her shoulder.

The three Steamboat police officers were not injured.

The deputies and Taing were examined for injuries. Taing suffered a sprained shoulder.

To reach Matt Stensland, call 970-871-4247, email mstensland@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @SBTStensland.


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