San Rafael, CA-On Wednesday, 07/11/2018, at approximately 0744 hours, San Rafael PD officers responded to an apartment building on Lincoln Avenue to the report of a resident behaving erratically, destroying his apartment and throwing items onto the courtyard and neighbors’ balconies. 

When officers arrived they contacted a resident, later identified as Benjamin Ritter, who was on the third floor.  Ritter showed signs and symptoms of intoxication and was acting erratically.  Ritter ran from officers and climbed onto a neighbor's balcony.  The officers followed and continued to try and engage Ritter, but he remained uncooperative.     

Suddenly, Ritter jumped up onto the balcony railing with both feet. Fearing Ritter was about to jump off of the railing to the street below, one officer grabbed Ritter and prevented him from jumping.  Once Ritter was pulled on the third floor balcony, he began attacking officers within the narrow confines of the balcony. 

As the fight escalated, another officer deployed his Electro-Muscular Disruption Technology Device (EMDT).  Ritter was then placed in handcuffs.  Ritter was transported to the emergency room at Marin General Hospital.  Three officers who were involved suffered physical injuries that required medical treatment and later released from the hospital. 

Ritter was later booked at the Marin County Jail for battery on a police officer, 243(c) (2) PC and resisting, obstructing a police officer, 148(a) (1) PC, case SR18-05502.