Deputy injured after domestic assault arrest turns physical in Chaffee County

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A Salida man is in custody facing multiple charges after a domestic assault arrest escalated into a violent confrontation, during which he attempted to choke a deputy and disarm him before being apprehended.

According to the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), law enforcement officers were dispatched to I Street in Salida on March 26 at about 7:30 p.m. after receiving a report of an in-progress domestic assault. The reporting party warned that the suspect was threatening to kill officers if they came on scene, CCSO said.

A Chaffee County deputy was the first to arrive on the scene. As he exited his patrol vehicle, a man, later identified as 46-year-old Cory Pottebaum, began approaching him aggressively, yelling foul language and threats at him, the sheriff's office said.

Despite the deputy repeatedly telling Pottebaum to back up, Pottebaum continued to approach before hitting the deputy. The two fell to the ground "in a struggle," CCSO said.

As the deputy attempted to gain control, Pottebaum was able to get his arm around the deputy's throat in "an apparent attempt to choke him" before making multiple attempts to pull the deputy's firearm out of his holster. Several more deputies and Salida police officers arrived on scene shortly after and were able to take Pottebaum into custody, the sheriff's office said.

Pottebaum and the deputy were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for minor injuries. A woman found in the home was also treated for minor injuries on the scene.

Pottebaum is now being held on no bond in the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. He faces charges of third degree assault (domestic violence), child abuse, second degree assault on a police officer and criminal attempt to disarm a police officer.

"When someone is trying to choke you or take your sidearm as a police officer it becomes a fight for your life situation where lethal force is typically justified," Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich said. "I am glad their ground fighting training allowed the deputies to gain compliance of Pottebaum before they were forced to have to make that decision. This is another example of why we train so hard. Our training is meant to save lives, even the suspects if we can."