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Detectives search officer's home for evidence
By LEANORA MINAI © St. Petersburg Times, published January 23, 2001 Detectives investigating whether a St. Petersburg police officer was involved in an attempted robbery searched for evidence in the officer's home, police car and personal vehicle but came up empty. They were looking for a white, hooded jacket -- the garment worn during a Jan. 6 attempted armed robbery and aggravated assault in Gulfport, according to court records. Officer Antonio Garner, now on paid leave, is a suspect in the attempted armed robbery, and detectives also are investigating whether he might be linked to a series of five driveway robberies on Dec. 23 and Dec. 28 in west St. Petersburg. At least two people have picked Garner out of a lineup of photographs, saying he was the man who robbed them at gunpoint. But Garner, 32, has not been charged with the crimes. Prosecutors are reviewing police reports and witness statements for a recommendation to State Attorney Bernie McCabe in the coming weeks, Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett said Monday. "It's kind of early to tell," Barlett said of the inquiry. "We're conducting our investigation and talking to all of the people involved. When we're done, we'll make a decision from an evidentiary standpoint." Garner was charged with obstructing a Gulfport police officer after speeding away from her when she wanted to ask questions about the attempted armed robbery and aggravated assault Jan. 6. The attempted robbery occurred at 6:45 a.m. outside an apartment complex at 711 58th St. S in Gulfport. Victim Christopher Croley, 36, said a white Ford Bronco II pulled up as he was entering an apartment. Croley was walking back to his car when a man walked up to him with a black handgun. "It's a holdup," the man said, according to court records. "Give me everything you got!" Croley said the suspect was wearing a white hooded jacket with a zipper and black gloves. The jacket had red or red and blue stripes running the length of each arm. The hood was pulled so tight that all that could be seen were the suspect's eyes. A flap covered the lower portion of the suspect's face. "I'll shoot you," the suspect shouted as he chased Croley, court records say. "I'll shoot you dead." They both got in their cars, and Croley followed the Ford Bronco, which left tracks in dirt. Police later recovered plastic molds of the impressions. Croley called 911 with the Ford Bronco's license tag number. The Ford Bronco was registered to Garner, who was off duty at the time. Gulfport police Officer Regina Johnson went to Garner's house at 7:55 a.m. after learning that St. Petersburg police officers were there, and that Garner was getting ready to leave. She asked Garner to answer questions, but he took off on his motorcycle. Garner came back 15 minutes later and said he left because he had to get baby medication. Garner invoked his right to remain silent and stopped his wife, Gina Garner, from answering a police officer's questions. After searches, investigators did not find the white hooded jacket in Garner's home or Ford Bronco II. They got a warrant last week to search Garner's assigned police car, which was parked at his home the day of the attempted robbery. Officers told investigators they did not see a white jacket stuffed under Garner's brown leather jacket when he took off on the motorcycle. Nearby garbage bins also did not yield a jacket, according to court records. A spent shell casing from a 9mm pistol was recovered from the trunk of Garner's cruiser.
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