IRVING, Texas — An man with prior convictions for assaulting law enforcement officers remains in custody after allegedly punching an Irving Police Department officer and spitting on another officer during a disturbance outside a grocery store earlier this month.
According to police records, the incident happened May 4, 2026, at the Cost Plus Supermarket located at 504 N. O'Connor Rd (at W. Pioneer Dr).
Officer Mona Gutierrez, a veteran officer who has served with Irving Police since 1998, responded to a report of a solicitor refusing to leave the property.
Police said Gutierrez encountered 36-year-old Destry Demond Zewdie and instructed him to leave the business, but he refused, telling officers he would not leave until he got enough money to eat.
Authorities said Zewdie became increasingly hostile and shouted profanities while officers attempted to de-escalate the situation.
After two additional officers arrived, police said Zewdie initially began walking away before suddenly turning around and punching Officer Gutierrez with a closed fist, knocking her reading glasses and sunglasses off her head.
Officers tackled Zewdie to the ground, but investigators said he continued resisting arrest and scratched another officer in the face while grabbing the officer’s sunglasses. Police said the officer suffered visible injuries and pain.
Authorities said Officer Gutierrez deployed Oleoresin Capsicum spray (also known as Peppet Spray), allowing officers to finally place Zewdie in handcuffs.
Even after being restrained, investigators said Zewdie spit toward Officer Gutierrez but instead struck the injured officer in the face.
Zewdie was booked into the Irving Jail and charged with:
- Assault on a Public Servant
- Resisting Arrest
- Criminal Trespass
- Harassment of a Public Servant
Court records later revealed Zewdie was already on deferred probation stemming from a 2024 plea agreement involving harassment of a public servant and obstruction/retaliation charges.
Police said the harassment case involved Zewdie spitting on a City of Dallas marshal.
Records also show Zewdie was convicted in March 2022 of assaulting a Dallas Police Department officer by kicking him. He served two years in state prison in that case.
That prosecution was delayed after Zewdie was initially ruled incompetent to stand trial because of mental illness before later being found competent following about a year of psychiatric treatment.
As of May 20th, 2026, Zewdie remains in custody at the Dallas County Jail. His bond was set at $300,000, but a hold was placed due to the parole violation.
