Man surrenders to police after allegedly choking Fayetteville officer

Robert Brent Dooley, 44, was arrested on charges of assault inflicting physical injury of a law enforcement officer, assault on a female and resisting, delaying and obstructing a public officer in connection with the alleged assault.

It happened around 11:55 p.m. at Crescent Commons Apartments, off Cliffdale Road, where the officer had been investigating a report about someone trying to break into cars.

"She confronted the individual in the parking lot and tried to question him," Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock said. "At some point, he tried to side-step the officer, and she blocked his way."

Medlock says Dooley then pushed the officer down and that she chased him behind a set of apartments.

"He slipped and fell. She stopped, gave him commands to stop, at which point he got up, lunged at her, knocked her down and ended up on top of her," Medlock said. "He ended up straddling her and began to choke her."

The officer, fearing for her life, Medlock says, then pulled her service pistol and stuck it into Dooley's chest, prompting him to run off into some nearby woods.

"When she did what she did, this guy made the first smart decision … and that was to get off of her and get away," Medlock said.

The officer's name has not been released, but she is expected to recover and return to full duty.

Police say Dooley could face additional charges.