Two Monett Police Officers Hurt In Scuffle With Irate Man:

Two police officers in Monett were injured in a scuffle with a man with a history of psychiatric problems last Friday (11-06-09.)

Monett police chief Tim Schweder says that his office received a report of a man who was threatening customers inside the Wal-Mart Supercenter about 3:30 p.m.

Schweder says that, Timothy Q. Caine, 54, of Monett, whom the department has dealt with before was irate when officers arrived on scene.

Schweder says that when officer Jeff Martinson told Caine to calm down, Caine allegedly charged at the officer and hit him in the chest.

As the struggle escalated, Sergeant Dennis Camp and Chief Schweder were called to the scene to assist Martinson.

Officer Martinson and Chief Schweder were transported to Cox Monett Hospital for treatment of injuries they sustained in the scuffle with Caine.

"The injuries weren't severe," according to Schweder. "I sprained my back and officer Martinson sprained his shoulder."

Officers have had to use a taser on Caine in the past, but none of the officers had one during this incident. "We only have two tasers for the whole department," Scheweder says. "They are expensive...I wish we had one for each of our twenty officers."

Caine was taken to St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin where he was placed on a 96-hour psychiatric hold.

Misdemeanor charges of assault on a law enforcement officer are pending against Caine.