Huntsville man accused of biting Hoover police officer during traffic stop

A Huntsville man was arrested and put in the Shelby County Jail Wednesday afternoon after being accused of biting a Hoover police officer during a struggle in a traffic stop.

The man, identified by Hoover police as 33-year-old Patrick Earl Trotman-El, was stopped by an officer as he was pulling into the parking lot of the Walmart on U.S. 280 at 4:29 p.m., Hoover police said in a news release sent out Wednesday night.

“The driver was immediately uncooperative, exiting his vehicle and then re-entering and reaching for the center console,” police said in the news release. “A physical altercation ensued when the officer realized the suspect was reaching for a handgun. The struggle continued until two citizens came to the aid of the officer, helping him subdue the suspect.”

The officer was bitten on his arm and treated and released from the Brookwood Baptist Medical Center freestanding emergency room on Alabama 119, police said.

Authorities discovered Trotman-El was wanted for a probation violation on an aggravated assault case from DeKalb County, Georgia, and the handgun he had was stolen from Huntsville, police said.

Trotman-El was charged with second-degree assault, illegal possession of a firearm by a felon, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental operations. His total bond was set at $33,500.