DENTON, TX — A Denton police officer says a 54-year-old man tried to reach for his gun during a Tuesday night arrest near a park in the 500 block of South Bradshaw Street. The encounter began shortly before 1:49 a.m. after the officer saw the man near the public restrooms inside the park, which city rules say is closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
According to a police report, the man first tried to walk away when he noticed the officer. The officer called out to him, the man approached, and the situation escalated as the officer tried to check him for weapons. Police say the arrest led to additional charges including enhanced evading arrest or detention and felony drug possession.
Officer spots man near park restrooms during closed hours
The police report says the officer was patrolling near the park when he saw the man by the restrooms. Because the park was closed to the public at that hour, the officer stopped to speak with him.
Investigators said the man looked toward the officer and began walking away. The officer ordered him to come over, and the man then walked toward the officer while reaching into a pocket, according to the report.
That movement prompted the officer to tell him to raise his hands. The man complied at first, but the report says he then began squirming when the officer attempted a pat-down. The officer decided to place him in handcuffs so the search could continue safely.
Struggle escalates when man takes a boxing stance and runs
Police say the situation became more difficult once the officer tried to cuff the man. According to the report, the man moved away, turned toward the officer and took a boxing stance with his arms.
The officer again told him to put his hands behind his back, but the man ran, the report states. As he fled, a cellphone and a plastic baggie reportedly fell from his pocket. The man then turned back and allegedly tried to punch the officer.
The officer was able to grab one of the man’s arms, but the struggle continued. Officers who later reviewed the encounter said the man’s resistance made the arrest more dangerous and increased the need for backup.
Police say suspect reached for officer’s pistol
During the physical struggle, the man allegedly started pulling at the pistol on the officer’s waist, according to the report. That prompted the officer to use a Taser.
Additional officers arrived and helped take the man into custody. Police have not said that anyone was seriously hurt during the encounter. The report does not indicate that the officer fired the weapon, only that the man allegedly tried to grab it while the arrest was underway.
A police spokesperson said the man is not currently facing a charge specifically for attempting to take a weapon from an officer. Even so, police said that allegation remains listed as an active part of the case.
Baggie tested presumptively positive for cocaine-based narcotic
After the arrest, officers collected the cellphone and baggie that had fallen from the man’s pocket. Police said the baggie contained a white, rock-like substance that officers believed was crack cocaine.
A field test produced a presumptive positive result for a cocaine-based narcotic, according to the report. Police did not say how much of the substance was found.
Investigators also checked the man’s history and found he had previously been convicted of evading arrest or detention. That record helped support the enhanced evading arrest or detention charge filed in this case.
Jail booking included evading, drug and warrant allegations
The man was booked into the city jail on enhanced evading arrest or detention and felony drug possession charges, along with three outstanding warrants. Police said one of the warrants involved a parole violation.
City records and the police account do not say what led to the outstanding warrants beyond that brief description. The case remains active, and police said the attempted gun grab is being handled as part of the investigation even though no separate charge has been filed yet.
For Denton police, the arrest added to a busy day. Between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, the department handled 401 service and officer-initiated calls and made 13 arrests.
