Trial delayed for elderly man

Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 | 9:51 a.m.

An elderly man who sustained broken ribs and other injuries during an altercation with Henderson Police was recuperating last week after suffering a fall in his home, the man's attorney said.

Charles Walker, 84, was scheduled to go to trial last week in Henderson Municipal Court on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and obstructing a police officer.

But the trial was postponed until March 6 while Walker recovers from injuries he sustained during the fall, which occurred shortly before Christmas, his attorney, Arthur Flangas, said Friday.

Walker, a Henderson resident for about 50 years, was hospitalized after the fall and bedridden for weeks following, Flangas said.

Flangas said he did not know the specifics of Walker's most recent injuries, but the man is under the care of a physical therapist.

Flangas said he couldn't confirm whether the injuries were compounded by injuries he sustained during the incident with police, but said the altercation "definitely left (Walker) in a weakened state."

Police said the altercation occurred in July 2002 when they noticed Walker's car parked in the intersection of Army and Market streets in Henderson.

An angry Walker moved toward officers yelling and screaming and resisted arrest when they forced him to the ground, police said.

Walker sustained a broken hip, a sprained wrist and bruises, his attorneys say.

The FBI, which in July 2002 launched an investigation to determine if Walker's civil rights were violated, has not made a ruling, Flangas said.

Attorneys are still in the discovery phase of the civil suit Walker filed against the department in November, Flangas said.