BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - A Battle Creek man has officially been charged after firing shots at police and holding them at bay during a standoff Saturday afternoon.
Dariyone Zamone Clark-Brown, 21, was formally charged during his video arraignment at the Calhoun County Courthouse with assault with intent to murder, fleeing and eluding police, carrying a concealed weapon among others.
Police said officer Bradley Gentry stopped Clark-Brown for speeding at about 3:15pm on Saturday near Hubbard and Goodale Streets in Battle Creek. Per usual, Gentry got out of his patrol unit to speak with the driver.
"As he approaches the driver side window, his window, you’ll see the suspect reach with what I believe is with his right arm immediately out the window and take one shot at the officer," said Battle Creek Police Dept. Major Jim Grafton describing what's on the dashcam video. "As the vehicle started to take off the officer engaged, returning fire."
The video shows Clark-Brown firing at Gentry from almost point blank range. The officer turned his body just enough to miss being hit.
Investigators said Clark-Brown then led police on high-speed car chase through residential neighborhoods. The prosecution argued during his arraignment that he endangered other drivers and pedestrians with his recklessness.
"We’re alleging that many of these areas were in the area that was 35 miles or less," said Daniel Buscher, chief assistant prosecutor. "We’re also indicating that based upon review of tapes that he was going in excessive 70 miles an hour."
The chase ended at a residence on W. Coolidge when Clark-Brown ran from the vehicle, tossed the weapon into the snow and barricaded himself inside. He emerged four hours later and was immediately arrested.
Clark-Brown suffered minor injuries from bites from the police K9. The officer was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure but was uninjured. Clark-Brown is being held on $250,000 bond and returns to court March 14th.
As for Gentry, the prosecution said things could've been worse.
"A review of the in car video indicates that this person pointed his gun at the officers head and fired one time," said Buscher. "But for the officer turning his head to avoid the shot he would either be seriously injured or dead at this particular time."
Grafton said that Gentry is currently on administrative leave as the case is being investigated. He stressed that all officers are trained to be vigilant whenever on duty.
"You hear the verbiage of the routine traffic stop but the bottom line is the officer just never knows," said Grafton. "Three o’clock in the afternoon on a nice day who would’ve thought that being pulled over for a civil infraction, he was being pulled over for speeding, turns into a deadly encounter."
