Officer suffers attack trying to subdue suspect

A Superior police officer suffered a brief asthma-like attack when he inhaled pepper spray while trying to subdue a suspect Wednesday afternoon at the Manning Motel.

Officer George Gothner was treated by Gold Cross paramedics at the motel and released, according to a Superior police report.

Gothner and Officer Todd Ayers responded to the Billings Park motel at 5:13 p.m. Wednesday for a disorderly conduct call. When the suspect, 34-year-old Joseph Allen Bartlett of Britt, Minn., began to struggle, the officers were barely able to control him. In his 13 years on the police force, Gothner wrote in his report, he has never had to fight with someone of this caliber. The officers tried a number of tactics to control Bartlett, including a one-second burst of pepper spray and use of a Taser, to no effect. Gothner, however, inhaled a mouthful of the spray, which set off an asthma-like attack.

Other officers were called to assist and were eventually able to subdue Bartlett. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

According to Capt. Matt Markon, Gothner suffered no long-term ill effects from the pepper spray.

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