STUDENT ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTING AN OFFICER

By Philippe Buteau
Copy Editor

Barrington Deferrell, a Broward College (BC) student is in hot water with Pembroke Pines Police and possibly the college.

A student from the science lab went to the safety office and advised the safety-student worker that three individuals, Deferrell among them, were smoking what appeared to be marijuana according to the BC incident report.

Campus Safety Officers (CSO) Reinaldo Castillo said that they received the call around 2:37 p.m. on March 25. According to the incident report Castillo and CSO James Champagne responded to the complaint and after arriving to building 70 asked Deferrell to approach them. “We saw one of them puffing it up. When he saw us, he got up, walked away and started running,” said Castillo.

The incident report says that Champagne called Pembroke Pines Police Department Officer E. Guy for assistance. Castillo said the detail officer (Guy) told Deferrell to stop but he didn’t. “When you start running from us and you start running from the police, you’re running for a reason,” said Castillo.

In an interview following the incident Deferrell said that after seeing his counselor he smoked a Black & Mild cigar with some friends. He admits to leaving when Campus Safety approached him because he had to take a College Placement Test.

From the city’s complaint affidavit, Guy “observed the odor of burnt cannabis.” He made several, more than 10, verbal commands for Deferrell to stop but instead increased his speed.

As he walked up the staircase on the east side of building 70 he says he heard someone behind to tell him to stop and he replied “I don’t know you,” and the person punched him. He turned around and saw that it was a police officer and went on his knees and allowed himself to be handcuffed.

On the other side of the story, the affidavit says after reaching the stairs Deferrell “quickly turned around into an aggressive fighting stance.” Guy gained control of the situation and placed Deferrell in handcuffs. He was then transported to the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Deferrell’s offenses according to the affidavit were assault on a law enforcement officer (LEO) and obstruction- resisting officer without violence.

After being taken to the BSO Deferrell said that the report was changed when the officers noticed bruises he had on his hands from the week prior. “A homeboy and I got into a fight, that’s how I got the bruises. When they saw that, they changed the whole report from marijuana possession to assault on a LEO,” he said.

Because of Deferrell’s resistance, the other three individuals were able to get away, for the time being, scot-free. Castillo said that they did not know the names of the other two. He said that although they saw the faces of the other two they “just went after him [Deferrell] because he was the only one to walk away from the bench.”

“If he would’ve sat there and listened to us nothing would’ve happened,” Castillo said.

What will be the fate of Deferrell?

Lieutenant James Sutton of South Campus Safety said this is going to go to the office of the Dean of Student Affairs, Janice Stubbs.” They’re probably going to want to interview all parties involved and make a decision from there,” he said.

Stubbs said that because there is no evidence of Deferrell using a controlled substance she could only warn him with regard to the suspicion of drug use. “Regarding the resisting of a command from a law enforcement officer, I'm still waiting on the police report from the City of Pembroke Pines,” said Stubbs.

Deferrell is awaiting a trial.