PHOENIX — A man was accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home, assaulting her new boyfriend, and then spraying officers with a fire extinguisher when they attempt to arrest him.
According to court documents, Phoenix police responded to a home near 19th and Adams streets after 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 14.
Investigators said Edward Collins, 37, forced his way into the home armed with a handgun. He then went into the bedroom where his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend were laying in bed, with a baby laying in a crib nearby.
Court documents alleged Collins pointed the gun at his ex-girlfriend and then pointed it at her boyfriend. He allegedly pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire. Collins then hit the boyfriend in the face. The two men struggled for the gun and it went off.
The woman grabbed the baby from the crib and ran outside. She hid near a car, police reported.
Collins eventually lost the struggle for the gun. The boyfriend ran outside with it and threw it in a nearby trash can, which police later found.
When police arrive on scene they reported using pepper spray and a beanbag gun to try to subdue Collins. He then grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it toward police, damaging a police car. Police say officers eventually used a Taser to get him into custody.
Three other children were in the home at the time of the incident, court documents reveal.
Collins is a registered sex offender stemming from a 2015 case that involved a 15-year-old female family acquaintance, according to court records.
Over the course of the investigation police learned an 11-year-old girl with a connection to Collins told a friend he had molested her in 2017.
Collins reportedly had two felony warrants at the time of his arrest.
Court paperwork shows, Collins faces felony charges for assault, burglary, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and sexual conduct with a minor.
