Holmes Beach police arrested William Berger, 33, of Toms River, New Jersey, June 6 on multiple criminal charges, including a third-degree felony for battery on a law enforcement officer and three first-degree misdemeanors.
Those first-degree misdemeanors include one for resisting or obstructing law enforcement without violence and two for threatening police officers.
Berger also was charged with a second-degree misdemeanor for disorderly intoxication.
An officer responded around 7 p.m. to reports of an intoxicated man disturbing people on the beach near the 3400 block of Gulf Drive.
A complainant said the intoxicated man was acting aggressively and provided his description.
Another beachgoer provided a photo of the intoxicated man.
The Holmes Beach Police Department then received a second call about a man with the same description causing a disturbance on the beach near the 3200 block of East Bay Drive.
A complainant said the man was yelling at employees inside China 1, 3236 E. Bay Drive, and not allowing people to leave. He said the man then left the restaurant, walking south while yelling profanities and slurs at him.
HBPD officers located the man, Berger, behind Walgreens, 3200 E. Bay Drive, with a duffel bag he said contained a knife.
The officers spoke to Berger, who refused to comply with verbal commands and displayed several “pre-assault indicators,” according to a report.
The officers ordered Berger to the ground and he complied, allowing them to handcuff him.
Berger resisted as the officers searched him prior to arrest.
During transport to the Manatee County jail, Berger spit at an officer, as well as made “several threats to kill me or cause serious bodily harm.”
However, upon reaching the jail, Berger said he was the victim of a sexual assault over the past 48 hours and wanted a forensic examination completed.
Berger was transported to Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, where he denied treatment and told a nurse the officer was the one who sexually assaulted him.
The hospital discharged Berger, but when it was time to leave, he refused to cooperate with the officer, chest bumping him and refusing to walk out of the building.
On the ride back to the jail, Berger again threatened to kill the officer and began striking and kicking the inside of the vehicle.
This time, deputies took custody of Berger, who remained in jail under $7,650 bond as of June 6.
If convicted, punishment for a third-degree felony includes up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000.
Punishment for a first-degree misdemeanor includes up to one year in jail, one year of probation and a fine of up to $1,000.
Punishment for a second-degree misdemeanor includes up to 60 days in jail, six months of probation and fine of up to $500.
An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, July 26, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.