WATCH: Good Samaritans Help Detain Suspect After Perp Assaults Florida Deputy During Traffic Stop
By Space Coast Daily // May 20, 2021
citizens will receive awards in recognition for their actions, says Sheriff Chitwood
ABOVE VIDEO: Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood expressed his appreciation to a couple Good Samaritans after a traffic stop in Deltona turned violent when the suspect resisted arrest and assaulted one of the deputies on-scene.
VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA – Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood expressed his appreciation to a couple Good Samaritans after a traffic stop in Deltona turned violent when the suspect resisted arrest and assaulted one of the deputies on-scene on Tuesday.
The action was also captured on the bodycam footage of the deputies.
Deputy Zimmerer was eastbound on Howland Boulevard Sunday afternoon when a black Ford F-150 cut across all lanes of traffic and almost hit him.
Zimmerer conducted a traffic stop on the driver, identified as 41-year-old Frank Padilla Velez, whose behavior was erratic.
When Zimmerer attempted to place handcuffs on him, Padilla hit Zimmerer in the head with his elbow, knocking the handcuffs into the middle of the road, and started fighting him.
Two witnesses saw what was happening and jumped out of their vehicles to help. Padilla thrashed on the ground and tried to bite Zimmerer’s leg. The Taser had no effect on him, according to the video by Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
The struggle caused the deputy’s body camera’s main power button to switch off before more deputies got to the scene and helped take Padilla into custody.
Padilla’s dog, which had jumped out of his truck to protect him, was corralled by one of the witnesses and placed safely back in the truck.
Padilla was charged with resisting an officer with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, driving with a suspended license, careless driving and expired registration.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced that both men who stopped to intervene will be receiving citizen’s awards in recognition of their actions.
“All my respect and gratitude goes out to these two men who took action when they saw a deputy under attack,” said Sheriff Chitwood. “It makes me proud to know that in Volusia County, our residents still have our deputies’ backs.”
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