Andover Man Allegedly Assaults Police Officer

An Andover man was taken into custody early Thursday morning after assaulting a Woburn police officer.

Kevin Julian Kobler, 22, of 5 Wagon Wheel Road in Andover, was arrested and charged with assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday.

According to police, Woburn Police Officer Jerome Gately was dispatched to the  on Commerce Way in Woburn after security guards reported seeing a “suspicious” man on the property.

Officer Gately said the guards told him the man was “acting very strange and appeared to be confused.”

“They said the man was dancing on guard rails and told them that they were not better than him,” reported Officer Gately.

When the patrolman approached Kobler in his cruiser, the 22-year-old Andover man “immediately stood up and started to walk toward me at a fast pace with his fists clenched,” said Officer Gately.

According to police, Kobler “started throwing punches at [Officer Gately] before [he] could say anything to him.”

Police subdued Kobler with force, and managed to cuff the man as he continued to struggle.

According to police, Officer Gately’s use of force was “necessary to effect arrest, necessary to defend self and necessary to restrain for suspect’s own safety.”

After Kobler was taken into custody, Officer Gately asked Kobler “what was the matter with him.” The man reportedly replied, “I’m [expletive] crazy.”

Police believe that due to Kobler’s “combative behavior” and “very confused" nature, he may have been “under influence of some type of narcotic.”