A Thomasville police officer was taken to the hospital Saturday after what police describe as a violent encounter with a man who had warrants dating back to 2013.
Officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force located the man, identified by police as Derrius Donae Griffin, sitting in a vehicle in a Subway parking lot in Thomasville.
Police Account of the Encounter
According to the department, Griffin refused to get out of the vehicle and instead put the car in drive, striking an ice machine. In a statement released Tuesday, police alleged that he “used his vehicle as a weapon intentionally trying to strike officers with it” and came close to hitting a bystander.
Police said the vehicle eventually collided with a Thomasville patrol car parked behind it. Two officers and Griffin were hurt during a brief struggle that followed.
Injuries
One officer was treated at Thomasville Regional Medical Center and released later the same day. Griffin was also treated for minor injuries.
The allegations described above come from the Thomasville Police Department’s own account of the incident and have not been tested in court.