Police say combative suspect injured officers with a metal pole

A Hamilton man is facing multiple charges after an arrest left two Hamilton police officers with minor injuries.

In a release Monday, police said they received several calls about garbage cans on fire and a description of a suspect.

Two officers were dispatched to the area of James Street North and Barton Street East. Upon arrival, the officers saw a man matching the description in an alleyway just west.

The man began to run eastbound down the alleyway, but officers caught up to him and attempted to arrest him. During the arrest, the man allegedly pulled out a metal pole and began to repeatedly strike" the officers, said police.

Once in custody, officers searched the man and found a three-inch knife tied around his waist.

The 25-year-old Hamilton man has been charged with arson causing damage to property, carrying a concealed weapon and two counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon and failing to comply with a release order.

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com