Sutton sentenced for assault on deputies
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on January 24, 2006 1:45 PM
A 21-year-old man from Rosewood who assaulted several Wayne County sheriff's deputies last year has been sentenced to about four years in prison.
Darryl Sutton of Fisher Drive was accused of assaulting and injuring Sgt. Sherwood Daly and Deputies C.T. Arnold and Kenneth Grice on May 13 after they answered a call about a fight between two men.
After the assault, Daly said that the fight with Sutton was the worst that he had been in. Daly, who said he weighs 160 pounds, gave up about 90 pounds to the 5-foot-11 Sutton.
Sutton
"I didn't know if Deputy Arnold and I would come out of it and be able to talk about it," Daly said.
Daly's left leg was immobilized, Arnold suffered a jaw injury and two others had minor arm injuries.
Sutton was sentenced to three consecutive terms of 15 to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to assault with a deadly weapon on a law-enforcement officer -- Daly, Arnold and Grice.
Sutton also pleaded guilty to assault on a law-enforcement officer, Daly, while inflicting serious injury. He was sentenced to 30 more days in prison. A 15-to-18-month sentence was suspended on condition that he complete 12 months of supervised probation and pay $280 in restitution and $280.50 in court costs.
Sheriff Carey Winders had said Sutton had told a neighbor that he was Jewish, the officers were the Romans and he was ready for action. The sheriff said Sutton had said he had a dream in which he said God had told him that lawmen were coming for him but not to fear them because he was getting stronger every day.
The incident started when Daly went to the home to investigate the fight. When he arrived, he saw no fight nor argument. But Sutton's girlfriend's brother told Daly that Sutton had choked his sister who was pregnant. Daly said he saw no marks on the woman and said she would have to press charges.
When Daly asked Sutton if he worked and contributed to the household expenses, the defendant said he did neither. At that point, Daly said Sutton would have to leave or be charged with trespass. Sutton ran inside, the deputies followed and the fight ensued. At one point, Sutton pulled a knife and deputies emptied two cans of Mace on Sutton without any effect.
Sutton was not subdued until he fled outside, his baggy pants fell down, he tripped on them and fell unto a ditch.
Winders said law officers have the legal right to remove a boyfriend or girlfriend from a home if he or she is asked to leave and is not paying a share of the rent or expenses. If the person returns, he or she can be charged with trespass. That's why deputies were removing Sutton, the sheriff said.