OTAY MESA (CBS 8) - A suspected bank robber is taken into custody after being taken down by police in Otay Mesa. But that suspect did not go quietly.
San Diego police say he repeatedly punched one of their officers in the face, before that officer hit him with a taser.
Officers say he matched the description of the man who robbed a North Island Credit Union in Imperial Beach earlier Saturday.
He was spotted this afternoon in the area of Beyer Way and Picador Boulevard in Otay Mesa.
A San Diego police officer iced his head in the back of an ambulance Saturday following the violent arrest of a suspected bank robber.
"He was punching him, kicking him until the officer was able to get his taser," said a witness.
A witness, who did not want to be identified, saw the takedown happen in front of his Otay Mesa complex.
The struggle lasted for quite some time before the officer, who was by himself, was able to use his taser and subdue the suspect.
"Once the guy got it, he was face down on the ground and that was it," said the witness.
Police were in the area, after someone robbed an Imperial Beach Credit Union.
It happened just before 10 a.m.
"The suspect came in utilizing a demand note. Sheriff's deputies responded, and thought he was in a home on the 1000 block of Reef," said San Diego Police Lt. Joseph Ramos.
Investigators surrounded the home but the suspect was not there.
Meanwhile, they put out the man's description to officers in the area. Minutes later, he was spotted just a few blocks away walking through this complex.
That neighbor who witnessed the arrest says the officer is lucky things did not end differently.
"It looked like he was going for his gun. I felt bad for the cop," said the witness.
His superiors agree -- giving him credit for a job well done.
"He was struggling, and he was alone. He did an excellent job," said Ramos.
The injured officer was treated at the scene and is expected to be okay.