TULARE COUNTY – Last Tuesday night, February 25, sheriff’s deputies were called to the Tule Indian reservation on reports of someone creating a disturbance and firing a rifle at 9:15 in the evening. According to a sheriff’s press release, responding deputies were fired on when they arrived. The SWAT team was called on scene to help handle the situation. However, the suspect fled the area on foot, and they were unable to apprehend him. However, their investigation led them to believe the suspect was 23-year Larry William Garfield, a resident of the area, who fired the shots from his home on the 100 block of Reservation Road in eastern Porterville.
Garfield had been in recent trouble with law enforcement over the past few months. He was arrested on December 13 for a parole violation, and again on January 17, when he was also charged with resisting arrest. During that time period, on January 13, he posted a message on his Facebook page saying “Man I hate this court [deleted]..just hurry up and sentence me already I dnt care on how much time I do..” And just after the reported shooting incident, he posted other entries that may give a clue to his state of mind. On Thursday the 27th, “im gonna die soon..i really hope they kill me sooner then I think..on da real..”, and on Friday the 28th “man everything is jus a lie..dnt knw wat to believe”. In all cases, he got several responses from friends and family giving him their support.
On Saturday, March 1, The Sheriff’s office got a report that he was present at his home on the reservation, and they responded to the location. They arrived at 3:45 in the morning, but Garfield may have expected them, as he was just pulling out of the driveway. He did not stop when ordered, and proceeded to drive away, and took his vehicle off-road. The deputies in their cars attempted to follow him while sticking to the roads. He headed east, and as they got to the Cholollo campground area, they were forced to abandon the chase because of the muddy and dangerous roads following the recent rains.
Larry Garfield from Facebook “bored”.
It appears Garfield may have gotten stuck as well, or perhaps hid his vehicle from sight. In any case, deputies waiting near his home spotted him on foot at 8:10 that morning. They went for him, and he ran into the home of a nearby family member, but left right away. He then barricaded himself in a house on North Reservation Road, likely his own residence, and refused to come out, making threats to the deputies in the standoff. But before the SWAT team was required again, the deputies were able to convince him to come out without further resistance.
Garfield was charged with assault with force likely to cause great bodily harm, evading peace officers with wanton disregard for safety, trespassing, resisting arrest, threats of violence, and obstruction of an executive officer. He is being held on $300,000 bail with a parole hold.
Anyone with more information about Garfield is encouraged to call detectives Zamora or Klassen at 559-735-1898, or by using Tipnow by phone or text at 559-725-4194, or by email at tcso@tipnow.com.
