Carter blocked him from entering the car, driver escalated it. Driver should have taken payment when Carter offered instead of asking for name and address (which is not needed).
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After Carter refused to provide the information, police wrote, the driver resumed the process of hooking up the car for towing. As the driver returned to the tow truck, Carter told him he was going to call 911 and used his forearm to block the driver from getting inside, according to the affidavit.
The driver, police wrote, grabbed a metal bar off the back of the truck and yelled at Carter to back away, which he did. When the driver got inside the tow truck, witness video showed that Carter wrapped his arms around the man’s abdomen and forcefully pulled multiple times to break his grip from the steering wheel, according to the affidavit.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Carter blocking him from entering the truck escalated it. The tow truck driver retaliated. He was well within his LEGAL rights, regardless of whether you think he escalated anything.
It's quite possible the driver couldn't take payment without getting some personal information as part of his job (not as part of the law). It's a CYA move, and creates an information trail. Otherwise, the transaction is "off the books" and it's possible the incident could be used against him, and he has no documentation.
Carter could have simply called 911 ... let the tow truck driver do his thing, call the cops, take down the company info (side of truck, most likely) and the license plate of the truck, and let them handle it. Instead he escalated it in a non-legal way.
And, regardless, let's say things were inappropriately ... even if legally ... escalated with the metal bar. The tow truck driver not using it, and getting in his truck to leave would have de-escalated things. He wasn't going to go after Carter ... he was leaving.
The tow truck driver was allowed to leave ... Carter was not allowed to, first, impede him and, second, grab him and throw him down as he was leaving. The metal bar is irrelevant to that.
Tow truck drivers suck, but you're letting that opinion (with which I agree) cloud your rational judgment.