By Kevin Deutsch
Police tasered an armed man who repeatedly punched them and reached for a firearm during his arrest, authorities said.
According to the Coconut Creek Police Department, Ricardo Excellent, 32, was involved in a domestic dispute with a woman in the 4200 block of West Atlantic Boulevard at 11:19 p.m. on April 5.
Using a neighbor’s phone, the female called 911 and told police dispatchers Excellent had threatened her and her family and stolen her cell phone, police said a post announcing Excellent’s arrest.
When officers reached the site of the domestic incident, Excellent refused to cooperate with them and tried to drive away, police said.
At one point, the Fort Lauderdale resident allegedly stepped on the gas of his car and tried to jump a cement parking block to escape. But his car was too low to the ground and became stuck, police said.
Officers said they gave Excellent “numerous opportunities to cooperate, but he refused,” punching the officers when they tried to remove him from his car.
“An officer opened Excellent’s car door, and upon actively resisting, Excellent was tasered,” police wrote in their post. “Once out of his car, he decided to fight the officers a second time. As they were fighting, a gun fell out of Excellent’s waistband. Officers had his arms because they could see him reaching for a firearm. One officer, seeing the gun, kicked it out of reach.”
Excellent, who also had the 911 caller’s smartphone in his possession, was charged with battery and aggravated assault on the officers, resisting an officer, and several other crimes.
No one was seriously hurt, police said.
Excellent was taken to the Broward Main Jail and released on an unspecified bond.
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