Man with tattooed eyeball charged with shooting policeman

A man with a tattooed eyeball, face and skull has appeared in an American court charged with shooting at police, stealing cars and robbing homes to fund his drug habit.

The 37-year-old man was arrested on attempted murder and assault charges after authorities say he exchanged gunfire with police at an Anchorage hotel, News Ltd reports.

Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew said at a news conference he could only speculate on why Barnum started firing at officers from a hotel room bathroom.

He said Barnum was a heroin user who showed symptoms of drug use after the incident which took place last Thursday morning.

"Someone just blasting away from behind a door, that's unusual," Mew said. "And of course they responded in kind, rather quickly."

A police officer who was working on a burglary investigation was said to be wounded during the exchange.
Jason Walter Barnum was arrested after his release from a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his arm.

The heavily tattooed Anchorage man was later held on $500,000 cash-only bail.

Three officers were investigating vehicle break-ins and burglaries in south Anchorage.
Barnum, who said he had not worked in the past six months was appointed a public defender.