A Santa Rosa man found unresponsive in a Mercedes Benz in Mill Valley on Sunday morning was arrested for firearm and drug possession after more than three hours of attempts by authorities to coax him from the vehicle.
The incident started about 6 a.m. when a Marin County Sheriff's Department located the man at 789 Redwood Highway, where his vehicle had struck another car. A handgun was partially visible within reach of the
driver on the front passenger seat and backup units were summoned from Mill Valley police responded to the scene with additional Marin County deputies, Central Marin police officers, and the California Highway Patrol
The driver would periodically wake up, but seemed oblivious to officers' attempts to make contact, moving around inside the vehicle but not responding to any commands over the course of three hours, police said.
A sheriff's department drone was used to monitor the man safely while the Central Marin Police Special Response Team prepared to deploy.
By 9 a.m. the man "slowly began to follow officers' commands and was taken into custody without further incident," Mill Valley police said.
Garrett McGriff, 35, of Santa Rosa. McGriff was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a felon in possession of ammunition, possession of suspected heroin, and possession of suspected MDMA (ecstasy).
