We are aware brief cell phone footage of an arrest made by Springfield Police on Monday, March 30th has been shared on social media.
In the interest of being open and transparent with our citizens, we’ve chosen to provide specific factual information regarding this incident because the cell phone video does not provide a full picture of the incident.
On March 30, 2020, at 12:32 p.m. Springfield Police Officers were dispatched to a disturbance involving a male suspect in a blue Ford Taurus pointing a gun at a female in the 400 block of W. Atlantic. Several SPD officers, along with officers from Springfield Public Schools Police, arrived and stopped the vehicle near 1924 N. Lyon.
The driver, later identified as convicted felon Gregory Robinson, was ordered out of the vehicle, and although he placed his hands outside the window, he refused to comply with officers’ commands to exit the vehicle.
On March 30, 2020, at 12:32 p.m. Springfield Police Officers were dispatched to a disturbance involving a male suspect in a blue Ford Taurus pointing a gun at a female in the 400 block of W. Atlantic. Several SPD officers, along with officers from Springfield Public Schools Police, arrived and stopped the vehicle near 1924 N. Lyon.
The driver, later identified as convicted felon Gregory Robinson, was ordered out of the vehicle, and although he placed his hands outside the window, he refused to comply with officers’ commands to exit the vehicle.
Believing that the subject was armed, officers opened the door of the vehicle to remove him from the car. He resisted their efforts and a Taser was deployed. Robinson continued to resist as officers took him to the ground and attempted to place him in handcuffs. His arms were underneath him and he repeatedly reached towards his waistband.
Officers were finally able to subdue Robinson, using physical force, and while doing so removed two handguns (one of which was loaded) from his waistband. Robinson was also in possession of a large amount of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
He was arrested and seven charges were filed by the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office including three counts of Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Felony Resisting Arrest, Felony Trafficking Drugs and two counts of Felony Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Robinson is currently being held in the Greene County Jail on $100,000 bond.
During the arrest and throughout the booking process Robinson made general threats about killing police officers and made specific death threats against the officers on scene.
In the midst of everything we are going through as a community, the Springfield Police Department is committed to the health and safety of our citizens. When a known violent and armed suspect is encountered, yet refuses to comply with officer commands, it is imperative officers take every precaution to ensure their safety and the safety of our community while taking such a person into custody.
As is normally the case, any use of force by a Springfield Police Officer is reported, reviewed by the chain of command and investigated internally to make sure of compliance with SPD’s Standard Operating Guidelines.
Link to SPD dashcam video with explanatory captions: https://vimeo.com/403066276
Link to unedited SPD dashcam video: https://vimeo.com/403048629
20-11093 Captioned from SGF CityView on Vimeo.
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