| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: REYNOLDS, CONNARY 1267 (AR14-9926) DID KNOWINGLY, ACTUALLY AND INTENTIONALLY TOUCH OR STRIKE DEPUTY REYNOLDS (1267), A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, AGAINST THE WILL OF THAT PERSON WHILE KNOWING THAT THE SAID OFFICER WAS ENGAGED IN A LAWFUL PERFORMANCE OF HIS LEGAL DUTIES, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATUTE 784.07(2); DID UNLAWFULLY RESIST, OBSTRUCT OR OPPOSE DEPUTY REYNOLDS, WHO WAS THEN AND THERE IN THE LAWFUL EXECUTION OF A LEGAL DUTY, OR EXECUTION OF LEGAL PROCESS, TO WIT: THE DEFENDANT REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO BE SEATED IN THE PATROL VEHICLE, WITHOUT OFFERING OR DOING VIOLENCE TO THE PERSON OF SUCH OFFICER, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 843.02; UNLAWFULLY ENDANGER THE SAFETY OF ANOTHER OR THEIR PROPERTY WHILE INTOXICATED OR DID WHILE INTOXICATED OR DRINKING AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE IN A PUBLIC PLACE CAUSE A PUBLIC DISTURBANCE, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE NUMBER 856.011; ON 041614 AT APPROXIMATELY 2115 HOURS, I WAS DISPATCHED TO THE AREA OF WEST CRYSTAL OAKS DRIVE AND WEST MOUNTAINVIEW CIRCLE IN LECANTO. DISPATCH ADVISED THAT AN UNIDENTIFIED WHITE MALE SUBJECT WAS LYING ON THE GROUND AND HAD VOMITED ON HIMSELF. WHILE EN ROUTE, DISPATCH ADVISED THAT THE MALE SUBJECT HAD STOOD TO HIS FEET, AND WAS NOW YELLING AND SCREAMING OBSCENITIES AT THE BYSTANDERS WHO HAD STOPPED TO CHECK ON HIS WELL BEING. THIS SUBJECT, LATER IDENTIFIED AS THE DEFENDANT, MR BENJAMIN JACOB CLARK, WAS THREATENING AND YELLING AT PEOPLE NEARBY. UPON ARRIVAL I MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT. I IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED THAT THE DEFENDANT APPEARED TO BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. I COULD DETECT A SLIGHT ODOR OF AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE EMANATING FROM THE DEFENDANTâS PERSON, AND ALSO OBSERVED THAT HIS EYES WERE GLASSY AND BLOODSHOT, AND THAT HE WAS UNSTEADY IN HIS BALANCE WHEN STANDING. I FURTHER OBSERVED THAT THE DEFENDANTâS EYES DARTED ERRATICALLY BACK AND FORTH, AS THOUGH HE ALSO WAS POSSIBLE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN UNKNOWN NARCOTIC SUBSTANCE. I APPROACHED THE DEFENDANT AND IDENTIFIED MYSELF AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. I ASKED THE DEFENDANT HOW HE WAS FEELING, AND IF HE NEEDED EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS), WHO WAS ALREADY EN ROUTE TO THE SCENE. THE DEFENDANT CONTINUED TO YELL AND SCREAM AT ME, AS WELL AS DEPUTY CRIDLAND, WHO HAD ALSO ARRIVED ON SCENE. THE DEFENDANT BEGAN TO YELL AT DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I TO TAKE HIM TO JAIL, AND PUT HIS HANDS IN THE AIR. THE DEFENDANT BEGAN SCREAMING ABOUT HOW THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ON SCENE, AND I INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WERE ONLY TWO DEPUTIES ON SCENE, AND THAT WE WERE THERE TO HELP AND NOT TO TAKE HIM TO JAIL. THROUGHOUT THIS ENCOUNTER, THE DEFENDANT WAS VERY ERRATIC IN HIS BEHAVIOR. HE BEGAN CRYING FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THEN BEGAN SCREAMING AND YELLING ERRATICALLY ONCE MORE. THE DEFENDANT WOULD MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I, YELLING ALL THE WHILE, GETTING VERY CLOSE TO OUR PERSONAL SPACE. I HAD TO TELL THE DEFENDANT SEVERAL TIMES TO BACK UP. THE DEFENDANT ALSO NEARLY LOST HIS BALANCE SEVERAL TIMES AND NEARLY FELL TO THE GROUND. THE DEFENDANT AT ONE POINT STEPPED BACK, CROUCHED DOWN ON THE GROUND ALMOST LIKE A FROG, AND TOLD DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I THAT HE WAS GOING TO JUMP ON IS. HOWEVER, THE DEFENDANT THEN FELL BACKWARDS ON TO HIS BACK, DUE TO HIS UNSTEADY BALANCE. SHORTLY AFTER, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) ARRIVED ON SCENE. THE DEFENDANT DISPLAYED THE SAME BEHAVIOR TOWARDS EMS PERSONNEL, AND WOULD WALK ERRATICALLY TOWARDS THEM. EMS PERSONNEL SAID THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT THE DEFENDANT WAS TRYING TO TOUCH THEM. I AGAIN TOLD THE DEFENDANT TO STAND UP, AND TALK TO DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I . I REMINDED HIM THAT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) AND OURSELVES WERE THERE TO HELP HIM. THE DEFENDANT APPROACHED THIS DEPUTY AND FORCEFULLY GRABBED MY RIGHT WRIST WITH HIS HAND. I THEN ORDERED THE DEFENDANT TO LET GO OF MY WRIST, WHILE SWEEPING HIS HAND OFF OF MINE USING MY LEFT ARM. THE DEFENDANT THEN BEGAN TO JOG BEHIND THE RESIDENCE NEARBY, ALL WHILE STILL YELLING AND SCREAMING FOR DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I TO ARREST HIM. THE DEFENDANT THEN LOST HIS BALANCE ONCE MORE, AND FELL ON TO A BUSH. THE DEFENDANT THEN STOOD UP, AND SAID, âTAKE ME TO JAIL.â THE DEFENDANT WAS THEN SUCCESSFULLY PLACED IN HANDCUFFS AND DOUBLE LOCKED BEHIND HIS BACK. WHILE DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I WALKED THE DEFENDANT BACK TO MY PATROL VEHICLE, THE DEFENDANT REMAINED COOPERATIVE UNTIL HE REACHED THE ROAD. THE DEFENDANT THEN LOOKED AT THIS DEPUTY AND STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE âHEAD-BUTTEDâ ME. THE DEFENDANT THEN LOWERED AND POSITIONED HIS HEAD AS THOUGH HE WAS ABOUT TO DO SO. I STOOD IN A POSITION WHERE THE DEFENDANT COULD NOT STRIKE ME WITH HIS HEAD, AND ESCORTED HIM TO THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I ADVISED THE DEFENDANT TO COOPERATE WITH US, AND HE REMAINED UNSTEADY ON HIS FEET. AS I ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE REAR DOOR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE TO PLACE AND SECURE THE DEFENDANT IN THE SEAT, THE DEFENDANT REMAINED VERY ERRATIC IN HIS MOVEMENTS. THE DEFENDANT COULD NOT BALANCE, AND TENSED UP, AND FELL TOWARDS THIS DEPUTY. I THEN BRACED MYSELF AND TRIED TO HOLD THE DEFENDANT UP. THE DEFENDANT THEN FELL TOWARDS DEPUTY CRIDLAND, NEAR THE REAR QUARTER PANEL OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. AS BOTH DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I WERE HOLDING THE DEFENDANT, ONE OF US EACH HOLDING AN ARM, WE ALL WERE BROUGHT TO THE GROUND WITH THE DEFENDANT. DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I THEN ADVISED THE DEFENDANT THAT HE NEEDED TO STAND UP AND COOPERATE WITH US, BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO PEACEFULLY PLACE HIM IN THE VEHICLE. DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I THEN ATTEMPTED TO LIFT THE DEFENDANT OFF OF THE GROUND, WHICH HE DID NOT WANT TO COMPLY WITH. WE THEN LIFTED THE DEFENDANT ON TO HIS KNEES, AND HE STILL CONTINUED TO RESIST AND NOT COMPLY. DEPUTY CRIDLAND AND I WERE THEN ABLE TO STAND THE DEFENDANT ON HIS FEET. WE ATTEMPTED TO SEAT HIM IN THE REAR SEAT OF MY PATROL VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE DEFENDANT THEN LAID DOWN CHEST FIRST ON THE SEAT. I INFORMED THE DEFENDANT THAT HE NEEDED TO STAND UP IN ORDER FOR ME TO SEAT BELT HIM PROPERLY, TO PREVENT INJURY TO HIS PERSON. THE DEFENDANT BEGAN SCREAMING AND YELLING, AND REFUSED TO COOPERATE FURTHER TO RESEAT HIMSELF. I WAS THEN ABLE TO TALK THE DEFENDANT IN TO PIVOTING HIS LEGS TO A POSITION WHERE HE COULD SIT UP. ONCE THE DEFENDANT WAS SEATED IN THE APPROPRIATE POSITION, I SHUT THE DOOR. THE DEFENDANT THEN STATED, âIâM GOING TO MURDER YOU.â THE DEFENDANT THEN BEGAN TO SLAM HIS HEAD ON THE PLASTIC SEPARATOR CAGE OF MY VEHICLE. THE DEFENDANT WAS COMPLETELY UNCOOPERATIVE THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE ENCOUNTER, AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE ME WITH HIS NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, OR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION DURING THIS PROCESS. THE DEFENDANT WAS SEARCHED AND SECURED, AND FINALLY TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY. UPON ARRIVAL, HE WAS RELEASED TO FACILITY STAFF FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. THE DEFENDANT WAS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF BATTERY ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, ONE COUNT OF RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT WITHOUT VIOLENCE, AND ONE COUNT OF DISORDERLY INTOXICATION. HIS BOND WAS SET AT A TOTAL OF $5,650.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. WHILE AT THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY, THE DEFENDANT TOLD SEVERAL CORRECTIONS OFFICER TO PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE. HE CONTINUED TO YELL AND SCREAM AT STAFF WHILE BEING BOOKED. NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN BY THIS DEPUTY. |
