Middletown Barber Shop Brawl Results in Two Arrests: Police

At approximately 4:44 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, Middletown police responded to the area of 146 William St., for a reported fight in front of a barber shop. Upon arrival, an officer was already on scene with the two involved parties, later identified as Larry Floyd and Vernon McDaniel.

McDaniel, owner of a barber shop located at 147 William St., informed police that he allegedly punched Floyd in the face after Floyd refused to leave the area surrounding his barber shop, then swung at him, according to police.

An officer reported that he observed McDaniel, 39, of 266 Middlefield St., Middletown, being loud and verbally combative toward an officer and Floyd.

An officer asked McDaniel to calm down because Floyd was in handcuffs and no longer a threat to anyone. McDaniel reportedly swore at the officer and said, “Don’t tell me to [expletive] calm down.” The officer asked McDaniel several times to “calm down or I’m going to have to take you to jail.”

Police said McDaniel continued to yell and refused to cooperate.

“After placing Floyd in handcuffs, I walked over to McDaniel and asked him to explain to me what had happened,” Officer Andrew Wasilewski wrote in in the police report. “ McDaniel turned to the other officers in the area and stated, ‘yo, please get someone else to talk to me. I hate this cop. He thinks he can pull me over whenever he wants.’ I have no recollection of any interaction with McDaniel. I also could not find any record of a written warning, citation or arrest being given by this officer to McDaniel.”

McDaniel was charged with breach of peace and released on a $5,000 non-surety bond. He was issued a Sept. 29 court date and he said he understood.

Larry Floyd, 32, with no fixed address, was reportedly observed stumbling around in a drunken manner by Officer Steven DiMassa, according to the police report.

Floyd had minor bleeding from his upper lip and left elbow. While standing beside DiMassa and Officer Nathan Peck, Floyd allegedly made several statements that he was going to shoot the two officers, police said.

Later at the police department, he allegedly continued verbally abusing officers, allegedly saying that as soon as he got out of the station, he would find Officer Peck and shoot him, then find the officer’s wife and sexually assault her, then shoot her.

Prior to being transported to the police department, Floyd was transported to Middlesex Hospital. Peck accompanied him to the hospital, then transported him to the department to read him his rights.

Floyd was reportedly uncooperative and allegedly threatened to fight Peck. Police said he refused to be fingerprinted.

Floyd was charged with failure to comply with a fingerprint request, breach of peace and threatening. He was held on a $22,000 surety bond and issued a Sept. 22 court date.

According to police, Floyd has 22 prior arrests for similar charges, as well as possession of narcotics, assault in the third degree, DUI, violation of probation, interfering, threatening and criminal trespassing.

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(Stock file photo)