Editor’s note: This article includes mentions of a suicidal episode.
A Hawthorne man was arrested Monday for threatening to hurt police officers if they didn’t kill him.
Michael Garrett, 69, is being charged with aggravated assault on an officer, according to court records. Garrett was arrested and booked into the Alachua County Jail at 8:51 a.m. Monday. He’s being held on a $25,000 bond.
Several Alachua County Sherriff’s Office deputies responded to a call from Garrett’s wife March 25, indicating her husband was drunk and trying to kill himself with a gun at their home, court records show.
When police arrived, Garrett stood on the porch, holding a gun in his right hand. After continuously asking the officers to shoot him, Garrett threatened them, telling the officers he would hurt them if they didn’t kill him.
Garrett left the porch and approached the officers, when the officers used force to take Garrett into custody, according to court records. The records don’t specify the nature of the force used.
Officers then took Garrett to Shands Hospital to treat his injuries from the incident.
ACSO Deputy Christopher Reul, an officer present that night, told the Criminal Investigation Division he feared for his and his fellow officers’ safety on the scene, court records show.
Contact Lily Kino at lkino@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @lily_kino.
Lily is a third-year journalism major with a concentration in environmental science covering criminal justice for The Alligator. Last semester, she served as the Santa Fe reporter. When she's not writing, you can find Lily on a nature walk, eating Domino's Pizza or spending time with her friends.
