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CENTERVILLE, Iowa -- A Centerville man is facing multiple charges after he came after a police officer last week -- and it was all caught on camera.

Centerville Police Chief Thomas Demry said the Jan. 20 altercation could have turned deadly, particularly for the suspect who did not back off despite multiple verbal demands and the use of a Taser by the officer.

After reviewing video footage captured on body cameras worn by two officers, Demry is applauding the officers involved, saying they showed restraint in a situation where deadly force would have been justified.

The situation started after Officer Andrew Teeter was dispatched to the area of Main and Wall streets in Centerville early Wednesday morning on reports of a suspicious person.

Teeter exited his patrol car upon arrival, and 30-year-old Jacob Myers charged toward him, holding a fiberglass rod. Teeter deployed his Taser after Myers continued to approach the officer, but it didn’t work.

“That’s one thing we try to tell our officers as well as the public -- a Taser’s not an end all,” Demry said. “It doesn’t work on everybody. Some people have different pain tolerances. People that are under the influence of drugs and or alcohol definitely have a different pain tolerance and so it’s not a fail-safe."

Myers continued to advance toward the officer, cursing and saying he was “going to kill him," Demry said.

“I think he would have been justified in using deadly force at that point, but I think in his mind he felt like he was able to handle the situation without going to that extreme of taking life. And thankfully he was able to do that and not get injured,” Demry said.

Teeter then used his baton on Myers, striking him at least twice.

Demry said Teeter's response is what he was trained to do.

“He started right out with his verbal commands, and then he went to his Taser and then obviously neither one of those things worked. So in his mind, the baton was the next logical step,” Demry said.

After being struck, Myers grabbed the officer’s duty belt and “would not let go,” Demry said. That’s when a second officer, Ken Reistroffer, arrived on scene and deployed his Taser.

Myers was subdued enough that the officers were able to take him into custody.

Demry said he's glad his officers started wearing body cameras, policy that was implemented about a year ago.

“It takes away, in my opinion, any discussion that the officer was out of line -- that the officer used excessive force. And without that, you always have that discussion. And I really believe that this camera just takes that completely away,” he said.

Officers later concluded that Myers had driven his vehicle through multiple yards as well as through a garage door of a home in the 900 block of South 15th Street. Demry said they are waiting for tests results to determine if Myers was under the influence during the altercation.

Myers is facing multiple charges including assault on a peace officer, reckless driving, fifth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal mischief. He is in the Appanoose County Jail on $10,000 cash bond.

Warning: Language and content may not be appropriate for all ages -- click here to watch the entire footage from the officer's body camera.

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