Punching trooper, fleeing not enough for suspect

WASILLA — His every attempt to obfuscate and elude thwarted, a 30-year-old man was jailed on a slew of charges Saturday, including one for punching an Alaska State Trooper in the jaw.

Trooper Joel Miner writes in the charging documents in the case against Terenty G. Reutov, 30, that the incident began at 6:22 p.m., Saturday when he spotted a 1992 Buick going 47 mph in a 35 zone. The driver wasn’t wearing a seat belt and the rear plate didn’t have a registration sticker on it.

He pulled the car over on Schultz Road just past its intersection with Johnson Road. The driver — who turned out to be Reutov — was acting suspiciously, patting his pants pocket and not looking at Miner when he talked. He said he didn’t have his license on him.

Suspecting that Reutov probably had a warrant out for his arrest, Miner turned to the passenger, Kimberly Yadon, and asked the passenger who the driver was.

“Yadon looked at the male driver and hesitated before saying his name was ‘Nick’ then ‘Tryant.’ Reutov then corrected her, saying he goes by ‘Terry,’” Miner wrote.

Then Reutov identified himself as Filmon Rutov and said he was either 33 or 34 years old.

“I advised Reutov that I believed he was being deceptive and that I would be issuing him citations and would remain there until we figured out his real identity,” Miner wrote. “Yadon argued, asking if we could just issue him a ticket and let her drive. I explained that we could not issue someone a ticket without positively identifying them.”

He told Reutov to keep his hands on the wheel and Reutov did not. A struggle ensued, spilling out of the car.

“Both of us went over the embankment and rolled several times while struggling,” Miner writes. “He got his right arm free and punched me on the left side corner of my jaw, causing pain to my jaw and neck. Reutov broke free and took off running,” Miner wrote.

Miner gave chase. A group of guys in a pickup offered to help and also gave chase.

“Both males gave up running after about 200 yards,” Miner writes.

He followed Reutov through multiple turns, at times losing sight of him but continuing to follow his tracks. At one point he saw that Reutov had lost a shoe. Eventually, backup arrived and Miner hopped in a car with Trooper Andrew Ballesteros. They caught up to Reutov of Rosehill Drive, about halfway down Schultz Drive.

That pocket Reutov seemed so worried about turned out to contain a vial of cocaine. Reutov was wanted on five warrants for cases involving charges such as resisting arrest, violating a restraining order and assault. In the new case, he is charged with assaulting a peace officer, cocaine possession, eluding arrest and providing false information.

He was jailed at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility on $18,000 bail with an order to find someone to watch him before he can be released. As of Monday evening, he was still there.

Meanwhile, Yadon was also jailed on charges of hindering prosecution. Her bail was set at $750. As of Monday evening she was also still there.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.