Contributed Photo/Courtesy GCSO: Clyde Griffin, 70, was arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, misconduct with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct with a deadly weapon, and threatening.
By Jon Johnson
THATCHER – A senior male was taken into custody at gunpoint and jailed after allegedly brandishing a pistol during an altercation over a misplaced cell phone at a water filling station in Thatcher on Saturday.
Clyde Griffin, 70, was arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, misconduct with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct with a deadly weapon, and threatening.
According to a Thatcher Police report, officers were dispatched at about 9:25 a.m. to the Twice the Ice water station at 2222 W. Highway 70 regarding a man with a gun threatening another man.
While en route, officers learned the suspect, Griffin, had left the area in his gold-colored Audi. A Safford officer spotted the car on Bauer Avenue and a high-risk stop was made with Griffin ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint. A Sig Sauer P365 9mm with a fully loaded 12-round magazine with one in the chamber was located on the driver’s side floorboard.
According to the victim, the men were both at the water refilling station when Griffin started yelling at the victim accusing him of stealing Griffin’s cell phone from his car. The victim said he denied taking the cell phone and Griffin responded by going back to his car and returning with a firearm in his hand demanding to know where his cell phone was. The victim said Griffin never pointed the firearm at him, but he was afraid for his life when Griffin allegedly said, “You have my phone, and I’m going to get it.”
At that point, the victim got into his car and called 9-1-1. Griffin also returned to his car, and at that point realized his cell phone had been in his car the whole time, according to his statement to police. Griffin said he thought someone had taken it because it was playing music on his car stereo when he pulled up to get water but when he returned the music had stopped. When he realized the cell phone was indeed still in the car, he drove away from the area.
The Thatcher officer noted Griffin was apologetic in his actions and surrendered to law enforcement without any resistance.
