Brand new documents are shedding light on a former cop's dark past and the shocking allegations against him. Garrett Peterson is accused of leading police on two different chases in just five days.
Now, we’re learning about more run-ins with law enforcement in the past couple years.
One report, from September of 2011,involves one of Peterson's former girlfriends. She says he came to her home in Chandler, drunk and crying. During an interview with police she said Peterson told her, "I feel like killing my ex-wife, killing my kids and myself. I have a gun in my car."
Concerned about the threat she called police who spoke with Peterson. They say he told them he has a drinking problem and that his ex-wife “wanted to take the children away from him full time.”
In regards to the threats against his family, he “denied ever saying anything that could be construed as wanting to hurt anyone."
When the ex-wife was questioned, she didn't seem too concerned at first saying, “when Garrett drinks, he makes very bad decisions.” But, during that same interview she said she does “believe the recent threats are credible and concerning” and that she wanted him “to go get help." She also said she doesn't trust police officers, given that her ex-husband was one of them.
Two years later, another report from another ex-girlfriend who says Peterson showed up unannounced at her home back in September, drunk, with bloody knuckles. Peterson called police saying the woman assaulted him. Officers say when they got there, Peterson was highly intoxicated.
During their interview with the woman she said Peterson had been blocked from calling her, and they hadn't seen each other in two months. She also asked officers for an order of protection. The woman was not arrested for domestic violence, as police could not validate Peterson’s claims that she had hit him in the face.
These incidents all happened before this weekend when Peterson led police on a high speed chase early Saturday morning after allegedly sending threatening text messages to the ex-wife. He then crashed into a semi during another chase two days later ending up in the hospital.
Peterson resigned from the Tempe police force on Monday. He's now facing several charges including aggravated assault, felony flight and criminal damage.
