WINONA, Minn. – Joe Peaslee and the cops know each but aren’t exactly friends. During an arrest in their latest encounter, officers said, Peaslee bit one officer on an index finger. The officer described the bite as sharp and painful, but he managed to extricate the hand out of a glove and proceed to subdue Peaslee. This was about 4:20 a.m. Police had been called to the 450 Block of East Mark Street about a man passed out on porch with a bolt cutter in one hand. As police arrived, the man was walking down an alley. Police went after him and recognized Joseph Allan Peaslee right away from encounters over the years. Peaslee appeared high on something and kept walking, police said. After being told several times that he wasn’t free to leave, Peaslee was forced to the ground and handcuffed. As an officer did a pat search, Peaslee tensed up, flexed his muscles and arms, and pulled away. He then reached his head over and started biting the officer. He was subdued again and taken to the hospital to be cleared medically about whether he was in danger from an unknown substance. Two hours later, Peaslee, age 30, was taken to jail. The officer with the bite said it looked like it would heal.
Peaslee. Booking charge: Assault on a police officer.