Nashville, Tenn. — A Portland man was arrested Saturday afternoon after a confrontation with police outside a local gym, following an alleged altercation inside the Planet Fitness on West Knight Street. The incident, which occurred around 5:15 p.m., led to a tense standoff between the suspect and responding officers.
According to Portland Police Chief Jason Arnold, 31-year-old Christopher Dudek was asked to leave the gym after allegedly throwing a water bottle at another customer. When Dudek refused to comply, the police were called to the scene. Body camera footage from the officers shows Dudek standing in the parking lot, holding a metallic baseball bat, as police arrived.
The video captures the tense exchange between Dudek and the officers, who repeatedly instructed him to drop the weapon. At one point, an officer can be heard shouting, “Put it down!” to which Dudek responded defiantly, “What do you want?!” The situation quickly escalated as Dudek refused to obey commands, despite officers warning him of the consequences.
“I didn’t come at you guys! You guys are coming at me!” Dudek shouted, as he continued to grip the bat. As the officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, one warned Dudek that he would be arrested if he did not drop the bat.
After several attempts to convince Dudek to lower the weapon, an officer deployed a Taser. “Taser, Taser, Taser!” the officer shouted, as Dudek was struck and dropped to the ground. The bat ended up under his torso, and officers quickly moved in to handcuff him.
Chief Arnold praised the officers for their handling of the situation, stating, “The officers did a great job. They ordered him multiple times to drop the bat. They wanted to talk to him, figure out what’s going on, and he refused and just acted confrontational, had the bat raised. Thankfully, he didn’t charge any of the officers. This would have ended a lot different.”
Dudek was charged with two counts of assault on a first responder, disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing, and resisting arrest. His bond was set at $5,000, and he is scheduled to appear in court on April 1.
The incident highlights the importance of maintaining control in tense situations and the potential risks when individuals refuse to comply with law enforcement orders. Authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding Dudek’s actions and the initial altercation inside the gym.
