Greenfield Man In Custody For Allegedly Punching Officer

A 23-year-old Greenfield man made his initial appearance in a Milwaukee County Circuit Court this morning after allegedly punching a Greenfield police officer this weekend.   

Zachary Skeen faces a felony battery charge stemming from an incident at , 3800 S. 108th St., at 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

According to the police report, Greenfield police officers were called to the scene when Skeen began yelling at the bar. When police arrived, Skeen was seen aggressively yelling in the face of a female near the front door.

Officer David Young was the first officer to arrive at Scott E's and when he did, Skeen tried to leave the bar. Young called for Skeen to stop walking away but Skeen did not stop. Young told Skeen to stop again and told him he was under arrest and eventually put his hand on Skeen's right arm. Skeen then turned and punched Young with a closed fist in the face.

Young responded with a forearm strike to Skeen's chest, knocking both men off-balance. When Young fell on top of Skeen both of his forearms struck the concrete. While Young was on top of Skeen, he struck Young in the face at least twice more.

According to the report, Young, with the help of two Scott E's employees, eventually handcuffed Skeen before backup arrived.

Young eventually transported Skeen back to the police station before going to Fire Station 1 to have his scraps and cuts cleaned up. Young also went to St. Luke's Hospital to be seen by an emergency physician.

According to Police Chief Frank Springob, who saw Young the next day at the department's K-9 demonstration at Dan Jansen Family Fest, Young's injuries were minor.

"You could tell he had some road rash from whatever was going on, but thankfully, he was fine," Springob said.

If convicted of the Class H Felony, Skeen faces a fine of $10,000 and or imprisonment of up to six years.