The two men allegedly threatened the deputy and his family. According to a report, one of them said I know where your wife and daughter are at. I know where you live. The deputy replied: I'll end you if you come to my house.
Two men allegedly harassed and threatened a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy in Palm Beach Shores and, at one point, the deputy threatened the two men as well, according to a report.
Fred Patrick Spring, 24, and Carson Shoaf, 23, who live at the same address in Palm Beach Shores, were booked early Wednesday at the Palm Beach County Jail. Spring remained there Thursday morning on no bond. Shoaf left jail Wednesday afternoon on $21,000 bond.
Each is charged with aggravated stalking of a law enforcement officer and threat to an officer.
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According to a PBSO report, Deputy Darrell Russian, 43, lives in and is assigned to the 10-square-block town at the tip of Singer Island.
On the afternoon of July 4, Russian told investigators he and a colleague were patrolling near the ocean at the southeast corner of the town when they encountered the two men walking with spear guns.
Russian said he reminded them beaches were closed because of the coronavirus pandemic and that spear fishing was illegal in the Intracoastal Waterway. Russian said Spring cursed him, using both the "F" word and a gay slur.
On the morning of July 9, Russian said, he helped PBSO's narcotics unit with a search warrant at the home where Spring and Shoaf lived. The report said deputies found two guns.
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Russian said Spring and Shoaf cursed him and said they know where he lives, which is a few houses away.
On Tuesday, the report said, Russian was off-duty and driving his personal vehicle when he saw a car, with Shoaf driving and Spring inside, tailing him.
Russian said he pulled into the Sailfish Marina and the car blocked him. He said he stepped out and Spring, fists clenched, physically threatened him, accusing him of setting up the narcotics search. Russian said Spring told him, "I know where your wife and daughter are at. I know where you live."
Russian said he told Spring, "I'll end you if you come to my house."
One of the arriving deputies later said she heard Spring threaten the marina manager and also heard him say, "I hate cops."
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The other deputy said Spring cursed him and said, "take off your badge. I'll beat your (expletive.)"
On Tuesday, the report said, Shoaf declined to speak to investigators. Spring said he hadn't liked Russian's attitude during their encounters. He also said he saw Russian parked Friday in front of his home, and said Russian earlier in the day nearly collided with his car.
After an investigator said marina security video gave a different version about the encounter than Springs, Spring answered, "We are done."
A call to a phone number listed for Russian was not returned.
"We deny the allegations," West Palm Beach lawyer Jonathan Wasserman, representing Spring, said Thursday. He said he did not want to comment beyond that for now.
"We certainly dispute almost all of the allegations in the probable cause affidavit," Ian Goldstein, a West Palm Beach lawyer representing Shoaf, said Thursday. "This officer has actually been the one harassing my client. He absolutely denies making any threats to the officer, ever."
PBSO said Thursday that "if the suspects felt threatened by the deputy, they are welcome to file a complaint."
The agency said Russian came to PBSO from Palm Beach Shores when the agency contracted with the town in November. Palm Beach Shores said hed been with that department since October 2013.
Palm Beach County Circuit Court records show five previous felony cases for Spring between 2014 and 2017. Convictions on battery, gun, and traffic charges led to jail time. One case, on drug charges, was dropped. In January 2017, Spring was sentenced to 16 months in state prison on a felony battery conviction. He left in March 2019.
Court records show only two traffic charges for Shoaf.
@eliotkpbp
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