DELTONA, Fla. – A deputy under attack during a traffic stop gets the help of two witnesses as the arrest of a man spirals out of control, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Those witnesses will be getting citizen’s awards from the sheriff for their actions.
The incident happened on Tuesday in Deltona, about 26 miles from Orlando, when a black Ford F-150 cut across all lanes of traffic and almost hit a deputy’s patrol car as he was driving eastbound.
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The deputy’s body cam video shows the driver getting out of his truck and laying down in the road. He then gets up and walks toward the deputy.
“What are ya doing? Come here, Come here. What are you doing? What’s going on?” the deputy asks the man. Deputies said the driver, identified as Frank Padilla Velez, 41, was acting erratically and did not follow commands. Things began to spiral out of control as the deputy attempted to handcuff him. He then elbowed the deputy, hitting him. He also reportedly bit the deputy.
At one point, Padilla Velez’s dog had jumped out of the truck to protect his owner. Two witnesses saw what was happening and got out of their cars to help, according to the sheriff’s office.
One of the witnesses can be seen in the body cam video, blood streaming down his face, helping the deputy hold Padilla Valez down. The other corralled the dog and got it back into the truck.
Other deputies soon appeared at the scene to render assistance.
(See the body cam video)
Padilla Valez was charged with resisting an officer with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, driving with a suspended license, careless driving and expired registration.
“All my respect and gratitude goes out to these two men who took action when they saw a deputy under attack. It makes me proud to know that in Volusia County, our residents still have our deputies’ backs,” said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, when he announced their citizen’s awards.