Exclusive video shows US Marshals wrestle with wanted suspect in Thomasville

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Exclusive and intense body camera video out of Thomasville showed two US Marshals struggling with a wanted man who’s doing everything he can to get away.

Somehow, detectives restrained from using deadly force and kept the suspect from getting away without hurting themselves.

It happened in June 2021 after two US Marshals rolled up on Derrius Griffin. They hoped to take him into custody on felony warrants, but it didn’t go as planned.

When one marshal confronted Griffin, he tried to get away and crashed his car into the ice machine between two businesses in the shopping mall on Highway 43. The whole time, a detective was in the car door.

That’s when Thomasville Chief Detective, Jamarcus Robinson, who was also working with the marshals jumped in.

Robinson said, “Once Mr. Griffin drove on the sidewalk, Mr. Griffin puts the vehicle in reverse. We’re still yelling commands to stop. Mr. Griffin then reaches out to grab detective McKinley’s firearm, pulls his firearm in, while the vehicles in reverse and hits my unit”

Luckily, Detective McKinley was able to keep control of his gun as Robinson put his body between Griffin and the steering wheel. He wrestled to put the car in park as Griffin tried to put it in drive.

“At that point, we were able to pull the emergency brake. Once the emergency brake was pulled, were able to get the keys out of vehicle and that’s when we ordered him at gunpoint to exit his vehicle,” said Robinson.

Finally, Griffin surrendered.

Robinson said, “Could have been avoided if he would have just went peacefully. We would have placed him in cuffs and transported him to the county and that would have been that.”

Officer Robinson had cuts to his hands during the altercation. Griffin fared worse. He came out of the car bleeding from the head.

Friday, a federal judge told Griffin he made a “bad decision” and sentenced him to more than eight years in prison

Robinson said, “I’m grateful that no one was injured. I’m grateful that deadly force wasn’t applied. Yes, we received a few scratches but at the end of the day we all okay.”

In court Friday, Griffin admitted to the judge he was on drugs and had no intention of hurting anybody.

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