Stamford Advocate
NORWALK — Former city common councilman and boxing champion Travis Simms and his wife Sandra Stokes were arrested Sunday night and charged with second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer.
Simms, 41, and Stokes 41, both of 28 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Norwalk, were released after posting $1,000 bond.
Before Simms’ arrest, police were called to the Townhouse Gardens Apartment complex at 15 Madison Ave. at 10:55 p.m. Sunday for a fight involving up to 20 people, police said.
Police Lt. James Walsh said after police arrived and tried to calm those that were yelling and shoving, a close relative of Simms named Sephylia Paulk, was encouraging everyone to not pay attention to police.
Paulk, the widowed former wife of Larry Paulk, who was killed in a Roodner Court hallway on Christmas Day in 2007, had gone to Townhouse Gardens to help her boyfriend Andre Stewart morn the loss of his father, police said.
But when Paulk tried to go into the apartment of her boyfriend’s parents, she was refused entry, Walsh said.
After Paulk was arrested charges of breach of peace and interfering with an officer her boyfriend Andre Stewart, 48, of 15 Madison Ave., Norwalk was arrested for striking his sister in the head and stomach, Walsh said.
As he was being put in a squad car, Simms, a former World Boxing Association’s light middle weight champion and adopted brother of Larry Paulk, drove to the apartment complex to help his widow, police said.
When he got there, he and a few other people who came with him began talking to Paulk and Stokes in the squad car. The group was told to leave, Walsh said. He demanded to know who the police were to tell him to leave and screamed at them that he was a world champion boxer and a common councilman, Walsh said.
Simms then led the group across the street toward the complex and began yelling and cursing at two officers, Walsh said.
One officer pulled his Taser and pointed it at Simms and ordered him to the ground, Walsh said. Simms then began pacing back and fourth and Stokes got in between him and the taser pointing officer, Walsh said.
Stokes then walked up to the officer and pushed the hand holding the taser away, Walsh said.
She then pointed a finger in the officer’s face and began yelling at him. The officer pushed Stoke’s hand away and she yelled at him telling him not to touch her and slapped his arm, Walsh said. She was then handcuffed and taken into custody.
At that point two officers attempted to put Simm’s hands behind his back, but he resisted the officer’s attempts to handcuff him.
“He was ordered to stop fighting several timse,” Walsh said, but Simms began taking an agressive body stance by puffing out his chest and tried to pull away from the officers.
Officers then took the southpaw to the ground, but he kept thrashing his shoulders back and fourth.
“Due to his resistance, he was given numerous verbal commands to stop fighting. `Put your hands behind your back.’ `Stop fighting or you will be tased,'” Walsh said.
Rather than using blunt force, an officer put his taser on Simm’s right upper back and discharged the stun gun, Walsh said.
Handcuffs were then placed around Simm’s wrists, Walsh said.
Requests for comment were left at Simm’s home and on Stoke’s voice male, with no reply.
Simms was last arrested in April 2010 when a fight between he and his boxing brother Tarvis turned violent and guns and knives were brandished.
In that incident the fighter known as “Tremendous” told police that he and his twin brother got into an argument and Tarvis grabbed a knife and started waving it at him. Simms then went to his car and pulled a pistol which he then pointed at his brother, Tarvis Simms told police.
The two were not convicted of the police charges and have since participated in court diversionary programs to dispose of the criminal charges. It is not known if Sunday night’s incident will jeopardize his agreement with state prosecutors to have those charges expunged.
Simms served on the common council for two years but in 2011 was unable to obtain the Democratic Party’s endorsement to represent his South Norwalk district for another two year hitch.
Earlier this month the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame announced that it was inducting Simms as one of six new members to the hall.
