GREENVILLE, Pitt County — A man named Robert Hobb Jr. facing multiple charges following an attack on law enforcement that left three officers injured on Sunday, Feb. 4. Greenville police reported that three officers were recovering after a violent encounter with a local resident.
The incident occurred after officers responded to a disturbance call at a home off of Copper Beech Drive around 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The suspect had punched a resident of the home after banging on his door and running inside the apartment with his dog. The suspect had already fled the home prior to police arriving. Another call came in stating that the same suspect was trying to get his dog to attack a door dash delivery driver.
Officers were able to locate and identify the suspect as Robert Hobb Jr., who was found outside of his apartment close by. When officers tried to arrest him, Hobb grabbed an officer’s throat and refused to let go, leading to the officer’s inability to breathe. Other officers on the scene used physical strikes and tasers to remove Hobb’s hands from the officer’s throat.
During the assault, Hobb was able to take one of the officer’s tasers and discharge multiple rounds. Additional law enforcement arrived at the scene and were able to arrest Hobb, who was now facing multiple charges including felony break/enter terrorize/injure, felony assault, resisting a public officer, assault by strangulation, simple assault, and injury to personal property. Hobb was given an $86,000 bond.
The medical personnel transported the three injured officers to ECU Health Medical Center for further treatment, and they are expected to recover. The incident highlights the risks and dangers that law enforcement officers face while on duty and the potential for violent encounters during routine calls.