Man charged with jumping into police officer’s car, attacking him

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 11, 2024

SALISBURY — A man was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly dove into a police officer’s car, attacking him and attempting to take his firearm.

The incident began at approximately 9 a.m. on Saturday, when a person called 911 and said that there was a man seizing on the side of Standish Street, said Sergeant Justin Crotty, a spokesperson for the Salisbury Police Department. When an officer arrived on scene, he reportedly noticed a man in the area standing on the street and raking leaves into the gutter with his foot.

The officer drove up to the man with his driver’s side window down and attempted to talk to him, at which point the man ran 30 feet to the officer’s car and “Superman dove” into it, said Crotty. The man allegedly then began to grab for the officer’s firearm and Taser, all while scratching at his neck and face and speaking incoherently.

The officer reportedly attempted to keep the man from reaching his firearm by pinning his hands to the vehicle while also attempting to reach for his radio and call for assistance. At some point during the struggle, the man was able to remove the officer’s Tazer holster from his vest and cause it to fall to the floor of the vehicle, said Crotty.

The officer was reportedly forced to pin the man’s hands to the structure of the vehicle and wait for additional units to arrive. When firefighters, who had been dispatched due to the medical nature of the original call, arrived on scene, they grabbed the man and pulled him out of the patrol car, said Crotty. The firefighters then reportedly helped the officer arrest the man, who has been identified as 38-year-old Antwan Demario Brown. During the arrest, Brown allegedly kicked and grabbed at an officer and broke their smart watch.

After Brown was arrested, officers searched him and found two smoking pipes on his person, said Crotty.

Brown was charged with misdemeanor assault on a government official, misdemeanor injury to personal property, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor resisting, obstructing or delaying an officer. He was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center and given a $50,000 bond.