Denver prosecutors this week charged Neil Michael Hagerty, a musician greatest recognized for his work with indie-rock band Royal Trux, with three felonies in reference to an incident this month throughout which he’s accused of reducing an officer’s throat with a police badge.
Hagerty, 57, faces one rely of second-degree assault of a police officer and two counts of making an attempt to disarm a peace officer, based on the Denver district legal professional’s workplace. He additionally faces two misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest.
The incident occurred simply after midnight April 14 within the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue after Hagerty got here out of an condo constructing, the place a Denver police officer was conducting a welfare verify.
The district legal professional’s workplace alleges Hagerty ripped a badge from the officer’s uniform and used the pin on the badge to chop the officer within the neck whereas additionally attempting to tug the officer’s gun from its holster.
The injured officer known as for backup, and police mentioned Hagerty was combative and struggled with officers earlier than being taken into custody. Three officers had been taken to a hospital, the place they had been handled and launched, after the incident, police mentioned.
Hagerty, a musician and singer-songwriter, is a founding member of the band Royal Trux, which he fashioned within the late Eighties with Jennifer Herrema. The band was energetic into the early 2000s, adopted by a short-lived reunion that produced a brand new album in 2019. Hagerty additionally carried out within the bands Pussy Galore, Bizarre Struggle and The Howling Hex.
Supporters of Hagerty launched a GoFundMe fundraising marketing campaign on Saturday to boost cash for the musician’s authorized charges and to determine funds to assist him with psychological well being considerations, based on organizer Terrilyn Hagerty.
Neil Hagerty Psychological Well being & Authorized Protection https://t.co/oORUVDZixn
— ROYAL TRUX (@realroyaltrux) April 22, 2023
“You will need to word that Neil has been battling psychological well being points for a very long time and this regarding incident highlights the pressing want for Mr. Hagerty to obtain correct psychological well being therapy,” a word on the fundraiser web page says. “Everybody concerned with the Royal Trux is deeply involved about Neil’s well-being and now his authorized protection. Please assist us get him to get the help and care he must recuperate and get again on observe. Neil has by no means encountered this type of bother, however through the years his psychological situation has intensified particularly over the pandemic.”
The marketing campaign was shared on social media by Royal Trux and Herrema. By Saturday night, the web page had raised greater than $12,000 with a objective of $50,000.
Hagerty had an advisement listening to earlier than a Denver decide on Friday.
He’s being held on the Denver jail on a $500 bond, based on Denver Sheriff Division data.
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