A 49-year-old man is facing up to 20 years in prison after being accused of repeatedly biting an Odessa Police Department officer despite knowing he has an illness transmitted through blood.
According to an OPD report, Ernesto Salas was brought into Medical Center Hospital Oct. 16 for reasons that were redacted from the report and he was handcuffed due to a protective custody order.
Shortly before 2 a.m. Oct. 17 Salas is accused of twice biting an officer on the hand when the officer tried to stop Salas from removing his handcuffs, the report stated.
Salas was arrested on Friday on separate warrants charging him with a misdemeanor traffic infraction and assault on a peace officer, a second-degree felony. He remains in the Ector County jail on surety bonds totaling $20,500.
