ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BRENDA CONYERS
Marion County law enforcement officers were called out early Sunday morning to back up Marion city police officer Michael Soyez when a 20-year-old Marion man, reportedly under the influence of drugs or alcohol, began attacking him.
Soyez said he was off-duty and finishing up some paperwork when he saw a young male, later identified as Joshua Tajchman running down the alley toward the Marion Police Department.
Soyez said when Tajchman became clearly visible in the light, the young man was naked and covered in blood.
When Soyez called for an ambulance on the radio, he said Tajchman attacked him.
“I first thought he was the victim of something,” Soyez said. “But then I realized he didn’t want help, he wanted to hurt me.”
The Marion officer called for backup. The Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the Corps of Engineers, Hillsboro Police Department and Lake Patrol from Marion Reservoir responded by sending units.
During the scuffle, Soyez said he tried to hold Tajchman, but the blood made him slippery and he escaped the officer and fled on foot.
Soyez gave chase, but kept his distance.
“Seeing all the blood, I just knew he was going to fall over,” he said, “and I didn’t want him to fall in the bushes or someplace where we couldn’t find him. He needed help.”
After Sgt. Gary Klose of the Marion Police Department arrived on the scene, the two officers overtook Tajchman.
Soyez said Tajchman tried to get into the patrol car, but the officers were not sure of his intentions. When they tried cuffing him, Soyez said his fingers reopened the wound on Tajchman’s forearm.
Once again, Tajchman was able to slip out of the grasp of officers and headed for his home on Locust. He ran in the back door and into the house, Soyez said.
Soyez said the young man’s father, Frank Tajchman, invited officers into the home and Joshua Tajchman was taken into custody.
A total of 10 officers were involved in the incident.
After Tachjman was taken by ambulance to St. Luke Hospital, the officers gathered at the police station to follow the blood trail Tajchman had left behind.
After following the winding trail for 12 city blocks, officers discovered bloody clothes in the street and in a car on Main in front of Webster’s Auto Repair. Bloody footsteps were then followed to a home at 116 Billings.
Soyez said officers entered the house under a consent search, which allows them to look for possible victims under special circumstances.
Once inside, Soyez said officers found blood on walls, ceiling and floor of every room but one. The home was in disarray.
Jason Schroeder, a resident of the home, was cuffed until the officers could assess the whole situation.
“We didn’t know what we were going to find,” Soyez said.
Drugs and drug paraphernalia were seized and charges are pending against Schroeder.
Soyez said Schroeder told officers Tajchman had used drugs, possibly mushrooms and marijuana, and began threatening to him.
Schroeder told Soyez that Tajchman broke a window, tore up the house, then broke a car windshield.
It appears Tajchman severed an artery in his forearm when he broke out the glass window.
Soyez said Tajchman’s condition was not life-threatening, but he was transferred to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita for further evaluation. It was estimated he lost about two liters of blood-about 1/3 of his blood volume.
Tajchman is facing two counts of battery against a law officer, one count of assault against a law officer, one count of assault against medical personnel, four counts of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct.
Soyez said that because of blood contamination he received when Tajchman attacked him, he will undergo blood tests now and in six months to determine if he has been infected with a communicable disease.
