Boater Accused Of Tossing Girlfriend Into River
Witnesses: Woman Screaming While Dragged Behind Boat
POSTED: Friday, July 29, 2005
UPDATED: 4:09 pm EDT July 29,
2005
A SWAT team in Brevard County, Fla., chased down a sailboat on the Indian River Thursday night and captured a man accused of throwing a woman overboard, according to Local 6 News.
Police said Donald Becker, 50, threw his girlfriend, Pamela Grassey into the river during an apparent fight at about 9 p.m. Thursday.
Witnesses on shore said they heard the woman screaming for help after she was thrown overboard. They said she was holding on to the boat's dinghy and being dragged behind the boat.
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Grassey later swam to shore and called for help.
When officers arrived, Becker refused to surrender and a SWAT team was called, Local 6 News reported.
Police used boats and a helicopter to trail Becker's boat.
"I've been here 19 years and I've never had a situation involving us having to follow a boat down a river in order to try to get someone into custody," Cocoa police Lt. Anna Cox said. "Never had to call our SWAT team to make an entry on to a sailboat . So, this was a new and exciting thing for us tonight."
The standoff lasted several hours until SWAT teams ferried out to the boat and used a Taser gun on the man.
Becker faces several charges.
There were no injuries in connection with the incident.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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