DEA to investigate scuffle

BSO says man was injured by agent

WESTON — The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating an incident in which a city plumbing inspector ended up with a concussion and a cut over his eye in a scuffle with a special agent who followed him from a gated community, wrestled him to the ground in a park- ing lot

The incident began before 11 a.m. Dec. 22 when special agent Terry Franckhauser, 45, spotted plumbing inspector Gregorio Diaz, 59, parked in front of a house in the 600 block of Verona Court in a “vehicle [that] appeared to be suspicious” and had dark tinted windows, according to a Broward Sheriff’s Office incident report.

Franckhauser, who lives in Weston, told deputies he approached Diaz’s 2000 Ford

and

placed him

in

handcuffs. Crown Victoria, which “took off at a high rate of speed.” According to deputies, “Franckhauser stated that the DEA is on a high alert status.”

Franckhauser followed in his car, andwatched the Ford “drive through several stop signs” before pulling into the Racquet Club Village South Apartments, 374 Lakeview Drive, he told investigators.

Bothmengot out of their cars. Franckhauser said he identified himself as a DEA agent and showed Diaz his badge.

“Franckhauser stated thatdue to Diaz’s suspicious actions he attempted to place Diaz in handcuffs for [Franckhauser’s] safety until other agents could arrive and he could further inquire about Diaz’s actions,” the report stated.

As Franckhauser attempted to handcuff Diaz, “Diaz kept pushing back into him and bumping into his firearm, which was concealed in a holster in his frontwaistband,” deputies said.