Christian Peterson
reporter@riverbendnews.org
On Wednesday, Sept. 6, the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) responded to calls about a man near the Branford High School gym
screaming obscenities and disturbing the peace. According to the arrest report filed by SCSO, the man, eventually identified as 39-year-old O'Brien
resident Gary Vanasse, was carrying a pellet gun, which looked like a real firearm, and a knife in his backpack. Deputy Dustin Wagner and Sgt. Russel Barrs responded to the calls.
When Deputy Wagner informed Vanasse that he would be taken to jail, Vanasse replied he would not be going to jail. He then began tensing up when Deputy Wagner grabbed his arm and began to try and leave the scene, pushing through law enforcement. This forced Deputy Wagner to take Vanasse to the ground. Sgt. Barrs began helping due to Vanasse actively resisting arrest. Deputy Wagner was able to get handcuffs on one hand, as he rolled him over Vanasse attempted to bite his hand. Before he could get his second hand in the handcuffs, Vanasse reached out and grabbed Sgt. Barr's crotch. As Deputy Wagner pulled Vanasse to his feet, he kneed Sgt. Barrs in the chest. Vanasse continued resisting, refusing to enter the patrol vehicle and forcing Deputy Wagner to dry stun him in the stomach.
As Deputy Wagner drove Vanasse to the Suwannee County Jail, he slipped his handcuffs in front of him and used them to hit the partition in the vehicle and the side window. He then began using his feet to kick the partition as hard as he can. Vanasse told Deputy Wagner, when he broke through the partition, he would kill the officer. “I fully believed that if Gary were to break through the partition, he would actively try to take my life,” Deputy Wagner wrote in the arrest report.
Vanasse was charged with aggravated assault, simple battery, trespassing, disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer/arrest with violence.