Local
Typography

GAINESVILLE ‒ An Alachua man was arrested by the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) on Friday, March 25, after repeated attempts to start fights at the Salty Dog Saloon. Brandon Harry Driggers, 29, was arrested and charged with battery, resisting arrest without violence and disorderly conduct after several customers at the University Avenue saloon complained that Driggers was attempting to start fights with customers.

At a little past 10 p.m. Driggers was removed from the bar and told he could not return. Driggers subsequently attempted to start fights with people who were waiting outside to enter the bar.

Driggers allegedly continued to shove the employee who had removed him from the bar. That man grabbed Driggers by his wrists to defend himself and suffered abrasions and bruises in the ensuing struggle.

When GPD officers arrived on the scene, Driggers was held on the ground by the employee and two off-duty law enforcement officers. It was reported that Driggers was allegedly spitting and calling the officers racial epithets. As Driggers was being placed in the back of the patrol car, he reportedly continued to physically resist the officers.

The transporting officer reported that while being taken to the jail, Driggers banged his head repeatedly against the interior of the car and kicked the windows as he also continued to threaten to fight the officer.

According to records, Driggers has been adjudicated guilty in eight local cases as far back as 2018 and he is wanted in Georgia and Ohio for larceny and auto theft. He was last convicted for a 2020 incident on charges of battery on an officer, disorderly intoxication and trespassing. He was sentenced to 286 days in jail with credit for 286 days of time served in January 2021.

A sworn complaint in January 2022 for property damage while he was being treated in the psychiatric unit at North Florida Regional Medical Center was dropped earlier last week.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com