Police officer assaulted in East Spencer

EAST SPENCER — A police officer was assaulted after responding to a report of gunshots Wednesday evening.

Officer Roger Kraycirik of the East Spencer Police Department was hit with a brick, punched in the chest and kicked in the groin as he tried to subdue a crowd gathered on Correll Street about 5:30 p.m., said East Spencer Police Officer Vince Kotarsky.

Kraycirik immediately called for backup to the scene. “There were too many people out there for one person to handle,”he said.

When officers arrived, they found a large crowd gathered in a parking lot on Correll Street.As officers tried to calm down the crowd, a woman threw a brick that struck Kraycirik in the hand.

More officers arrived, and were able to break up the crowd after about 10 minutes.

Officials charged Harriet Ozel McKenzie, 23, of 211 Correll St., East Spencer, with assault on a government officer. She was the woman who threw the brick that struck Kraycirik, according to police reports.

Sheriff’s deputies, who had responded for backup, also arrested Lonnie Samuel Brooks, 49, of 715 Hall St., Salisbury, after he became belligerent and refused to leave the scene. Brooks was charged with resist, obstruct and delay of a police officer.

One more man was charged with disorderly conduct in the incident.

Officers are not sure who fired the gunshots, Kotarsky said.

Contact Jonathan Weaver at 704-797-4266 or jweaver@salisburypost.com .