Charges: Man punched plainclothes officer at police rally

Listen to this article

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Prosecutors have charged a Wisconsin man who allegedly punched a plainclothes police sergeant during a Back the Blue Rally in Kenosha last month.

Lance Hoff, 52, of Kenosha, was at the June 27 rally in support of law enforcement when he became a part of a confrontation with protesters.

According to the complaint, the confrontation started to break out in a fight. A police sergeant in plainclothes, wearing his Kenosha police badge around this neck and his holstered gun on his waist, tried to put himself between the two groups and asked Hoff to step off a sign he was standing on so it could be given back to a protester.

Hoff punched the officer in the side of the head, stunning him, the complaint said.

Hoff immediately was taken into custody. He repeatedly apologized, saying he would “never hit a cop” and that “I’m on your side,” the complaint said.

Hoff is charged with one felony count of battery to a law enforcement officer and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, WITI-TV reported. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing Aug. 4.