# @downinnadesert on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DZJRZDZgZrs
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66329541-downinnadesert-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/7e42592d78.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-04T01:04:43.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Down In The Desert🌵 (@downinnadesert) — https://gondola.cc/downinnadesert

## Caption

This one needs to be framed as an allegation since it’s based on Garro’s account and there’s potential litigation.

A 79-year-old deaf Lyft driver says a routine traffic stop in Pinal County turned violent after deputies couldn’t understand that he was deaf.

According to Tom Garro, a Sun City resident who has completed more than 13,000 Lyft rides, he was pulled over while driving a passenger in San Tan Valley on January 9, 2026. Garro, who communicates through sign language and text, says he tried to let deputies know he couldn’t hear. 

Garro alleges the encounter escalated after a misunderstanding, with deputies forcing him to the ground and handcuffing him so tightly that he was left bleeding before being taken to the hospital. He says he hasn’t driven for Lyft since the incident and is now preparing legal action against the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. 

Court records show an insurance issue was later resolved, and a speeding citation was dropped after the deputy did not appear at a hearing, according to reports. The Sheriff’s Office has declined to comment because of the expected lawsuit. 

Do you think law enforcement should receive more training for interactions involving people with disabilities?

Via Phoenix New Times / The Daily Moth

#Arizona #PinalCounty #Phoenix #AZNews #Lyft

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 312
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 29

## Tags

aznews, pinalcounty, lyft, arizona, phoenix

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