Police: City man tried to strike officer

TORRINGTON » Police arrested a city man Monday after he and his friends were found inside the parking lot of the Sullivan Senior Center after hours and became argumentative and he attempted to strike the officer, according to a probable cause report.

Deonte A. Jenkins, 22, of 648 Prospect St., was arrested May 29 and charged with second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer/resisting arrest.

According to the report, the police officer saw a man, later identified as Jenkins, “standing near the road yelling with his fists tightly clasped and his head

thrown back” while traveling on East Albert Street at approximately 8:50 p.m. on Monday.

“Once Jenkins noticed my marked cruiser he turned around and got into the passenger seat of a silver sedan parked in the senior center parking lot,” wrote the officer. “I then turned into the senior center lot and approached the vehicle. As I approached the vehicle, I heard a voice from inside the vehicle yell ‘f*** him just leave we didn’t do anything.”

Five people were in the vehicle, according to the report, and the officer observed “the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” coming from the inside of the vehicle.

Jenkins told the officer to leave them alone, according to the report, and that he hadn’t done anything. He was slurring his words and had difficulty speaking in complete sentences, police said.

The officer told Jenkins that they were trespassing, according to the report,

as the senior center was closed. Jenkins expressed his disagreement to this statement, according to the report, swearing at the officer, and reached toward the floor of the vehicle.

“(He) made furtive movements to the floor of the vehicle by lunging forward and reaching under his seat. I told Jenkins to keep his hands on the dash board and not to reach for anything,” wrote the officer. “Jenkins again reached for the floor board and then stuck his left hand into his left front pocket. I again commanded Jenkins to show me his hands. Jenkins then began laughing and quickly pulled his hand out displaying a lighter and attempting to light a cigarette he retrieved from the floor in front of him.”

Another officer arrived on scene, according to the report, and the first officer told Jenkins to keep his hands in sight as he moved toward the door.

“Jenkins then said, ‘I got it right here’ and again reached into his pocket. I then opened the door and grabbed Jenkins(’) arm, telling him to step out of the vehicle,” wrote the officer. “Jenkins then pulled his arm away attempting to free himself from my grip and then whipped it back at me attempting to strike me in the lower abdomen.”

The officer pulled Jenkins to the ground, according to the report, where he “continued to resist by attempting to pull his arms under his body and kick” the other officer.

The two were able to gain control of Jenkins, according to the report, and place him under arrest.

Jenkins was held in lieu of $2,500 surety bond, according to the report, and was scheduled to appear in Bantam Superior Court May 30.