Officer bit while responding to harassment call in northwest valley

A man bit a Las Vegas police officer’s hand during a fight at a Rebel gas station in the northwest valley early Wednesday morning.

The Metropolitan Police Department said officers responded at about 12:15 a.m. to calls that a man was harassing customers at the gas station, 7100 W. Lake Mead Blvd.

When officers arrived, they approached the man who was acting erratically. He may have been under the influence of narcotics, Metro officer Danny Cordero said. When officers made contact with the man, he became aggressive and combative and bit one officer on the hand.

Richard A. Stonge, 38, was taken to the hospital and treated for being under the influence of narcotics. He then was booked into the Clark County Detention center on one count of battery on a police officer, according to jail records.

The officer drove himself to the hospital to get it cleaned, police said.

Review-Journal reporter Lawren Linehan contributed to this story. Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.