Darrin Antuwan Garret
By Isaac Ray
A Coral Springs man was arrested for assaulting a police officer and violating his probation after an altercation with a tow truck driver.
On April 9, the Coral Springs Police Department responded to a 911 call near the 10800 block of West Sample Road. Officers encountered a visibly upset man, later identified as Darrin Antuwan Garrett, 44, who was arguing with a tow truck driver.
There were no details in the report about why Garrett’s car was getting towed by the driver.
According to police, they immediately recognized Garrett as someone they have dealt with on prior occasions, most notably, a recent incident where he was arrested and placed on probation for shooting a firearm at a building and making threats. He is also classified as a violent felon.
Officers noted that Garrett is a very large man at an estimated 6-foot-6 inches and 300 pounds, so they used extreme caution in attempting to diffuse the situation before it escalated further. Their immediate intention was not to arrest him but to break up the disturbance that led to the 911 call.
Officers asked Garrett to go back upstairs to his apartment and calm down, but as Garrett approached the elevator, he ran back towards the tow truck to reengage the situation.
As they attempted to get between Garrett and the tow truck, an officer was assaulted while Garrett threw punches directed at the driver. As they arrested him, Garrett continued to tense up his body, making it difficult for multiple officers to place him in handcuffs.
The report said once in custody, Garrett told officers that he “f—ed up” and thought he was swinging his fists at the tow truck driver, not law enforcement officers.
After confirming Garrett was still on probation for his prior crimes, he was arrested and charged with assaulting an officer and parole violation. Garrett was transported to the Broward County Main Jail, where he is being held without bond.
The officer did not sustain any injuries, according to Detective Ernesto Bruna.
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