Man arrested after assaulting officer at hospital

By Abby Morris
Star Staff
amorris@starhq.com

A Hampton man was arrested Saturday night and charged with assault on an officer following an altercation at Sycamore Shoals Hospital where the man allegedly struck a Sheriff's Deputy who was investigating a theft.
Benny Edmund Phillips, 45, 124 Buddy St., Hampton, was taken into custody at approximately 11:30 p.m. Saturday night at the Sycamore Shoals Hospital Emergency Room following the altercation with Carter County Sheriff's Department Deputy Kevin Cable. He has been charged with assault on an officer, resisting arrest, possession of Schedule II narcotics, theft under $500 and public intoxication.
According to reports, Cable had been at the hospital's emergency room facility with an inmate from the Carter County Jail. "While at the Emergency Room with the inmate, the hospital staff informed me that the subject in the adjacent room from the inmate was observed stealing hospital supplies," Cable states in his report. "The staff asked me to check the subject (who was later identified as Phillips)."
When Cable went into the room to speak with Phillips, the officer noticed that Phillips was intoxicated and appeared to be agitated and jittery.
Cable asked Phillips for permission to conduct a pat down search of his person, to which Phillips agreed, according to the report. "I found syringes of three different sizes in the defendant's front left pocket. The syringes were still in the wrapper and unopened and appeared to be from the hospital supply," Cable stated.
During the search of Phillips, Cable also located an unlabeled pill bottle. "Upon opening the pill bottle I observed an amount of a white powdery substance, believed to be cocaine, wrapped in plastic in the top of the bottle," Cable's report stated.
Cable then placed Phillips under arrest for theft under $500, public intoxication and possession of Schedule II narcotics. After being taken into custody, Phillips became combative, according to the report.
"I employed a chemical agent in an attempt to get (Phillips) to comply with the arrest. At that point, (Phillips) pushed officer with both hands and bolted from the exam room. (Phillips) was caught in the E.R. hallway and taken to the ground where he continued to resist arrest. With the assistance of two E.R. personnel, (Phillips) was taken into custody and transported to the Carter County Jail," Cable said.
Following the altercation with the officer, Phillips was additionally charged with assault on an officer and resisting arrest. He is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court on July 28.