Police: Suspect spit feces at officer

DURANGO, Colo., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Police in Colorado said a man arrested on suspicion of drunken driving put feces in his mouth and spit them at an officer.

The Durango Police Department said Paul Kausalik, 61, of Durango, was pulled over for failing to use his turn signal Feb. 11 and the officer detected the scent of alcohol on his breath, The Durango Herald reported Thursday.

Police said Kausalik failed a field sobriety test and a preliminary breath test indicated he had a blood alcohol content of .142, nearly three times Colorado's legal driving limit of .05.

Kausalik was taken to the police station for a formal blood test and asked to use the bathroom, police said. Officer Chad Langley said he could tell Kausalik had something in his mouth when he emerged from the bathroom.

"As I observed what he had in his mouth, I took a step back and began turning my head as he violently spit the contents of his mouth toward my face," Langley wrote in his report. "I felt the matter strike the left side of my face and head."

The report said the substance was identified as feces and Kausalik also had the waste on his hands.

Kausalik is now facing charges of felony assault, driving under the influence and criminal mischief, police said.