Florida man arrested after fighting deputies pulling him from 'alligator-infested' canal
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man was arrested after allegedly fighting deputies trying to pull him from ‘snake-and-alligator’ infested water, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office says.
What we know:
Deputies conducted a welfare check for Ryan McMinn, 47, who was found lying shirtless by a Palm Coast elementary school on July 3, the sheriff's office reported. When deputies approached, McMinn ran away.
The Flagler County Emergency Communications Center then received a report from a resident claiming that the man was "crawling around their backyard and trying to climb the side of their house," deputies said.
Upon spotting the deputies a second time, McMinn jumped into a canal and began swimming away after multiple verbal attempts to get him out of the water, the sheriff's office said.
Photo Credits: Flagler County Sheriff's Office
Rescue turns into arrest
The deputies waded into the canal to pull McMinn out, but during the rescue, McMinn began "pushing and pulling," and allegedly grabbed a deputy by the neck while trying to shove another deputy underwater, the sheriff's office said.
Eventually, McMinn was secured and arrested on shore. He was treated by Flagler County Fire Rescue and transported to the hospital before being booked into jail, the sheriff's office said.
What they're saying:
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly commended his team's bravery following the holiday weekend incident.
"These deputies went into the water to rescue this guy, and he responded by fighting them," Sheriff Staly said. "I commend our deputies for their willingness to get in a canal that usually has snakes and gators and pull this guy to safety before he drowned."
The Source: The information used in this story was shared by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.