CHUBBUCK — A 40-year-old local man was arrested last week after police say he threw an unlit cigarette at an officer’s face while EMS personnel were attempting to provide him medical assistance at a Chubbuck extended-stay hotel.

Anthony Risden Neeser, of Chubbuck, has been charged with felony battery on a police officer, according to police and court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

The incident unfolded around noon on May 21, 2026, after Chubbuck police were contacted to assist EMS with a call at the Extended Stay hotel on West Burnside Avenue in Chubbuck, where Neeser was reported to be in need of medical assistance, police said.

Upon arrival, officers found Neeser slouched in a chair, incoherent and unresponsive to questions. Multiple beer cans were visible in his room, according to the police report. EMS responded and began attempting to conduct a medical assessment, but Neeser was not cooperative with medical personnel, police said.

Neeser was in and out of a sleep-like state, at times falling unresponsive before becoming agitated again, according to court records. He requested a cigarette, but EMS advised him he would need to wait until they could complete a full medical assessment. Neeser became animated about needing to smoke and demanded an officer grab his lighter, police said.

When the officer told Neeser he was not going to give him a lighter, Neeser looked at the officer and threw the unlit cigarette at the officer’s face, striking him in the left eye area, according to the police report.

Officers placed Neeser in a control hold, handcuffed him and escorted him to a patrol vehicle, where a search incident to arrest was conducted, police said. While being transported to the Bannock County Jail, an officer asked Neeser if he had intended to throw the cigarette at him. Neeser replied, “yes, I don’t know,” according to court records.

The incident was captured on officer body camera footage, police said.

Neeser appeared before 6th District Magistrate Judge Scott E. Axline for an arraignment hearing on May 22 where he was ordered to be released on his own recognizance.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on June 2 for a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors will attempt to present sufficient evidence to elevate the case from magistrate to district court for trial.

If convicted, the battery on a police officer charge Neeser faces carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.