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Man tased after found attacking paramedic on the side of the road

Published  February 20, 2018 9:43am EST
News
FOX 35 Orlando

DELAND, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - The Volusia County Sheriff's Office reports that a man who attacked a Volusia County ambulance crew on the way to the a hospital on Sunday night was arrested after deputies found him putting a paramedic in a choke hold on the side of the road.

They say that 33-year-old David W. Parsons was taken into custody seconds after deputies arrived at the roadside scuffle and deployed his Taser on the combative patient. Parsons was charged with two felony counts of battery on an EMT.

The responding deputy reports that he responded to the call around 10:24 p.m. Sunday on East Taylor Road in DeLand. This is where Parsons was found straddling one paramedic while the other was trying to pull him off. When Parsons did not comply with the deputy's commands, -- for example, "Let go of him!" -- he was tased. 

Paramedics reportedly told the deputy that Parsons had been belligerent throughout their interactions with him that evening. The paramedic who was driving the ambulance said he looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Parsons getting off the stretcher and attacking the paramedic riding in the back.

Paramedics continued to talk to the deputy, saying that the ambulance then pulled over and the driver opened the back door to find Parsons with the paramedic in a choke hold. The driver rushed in and put Parsons in a choke hold until he released the other paramedic and the altercation spilled out of the ambulance. 

The deputy reports that Parsons continued to act aggressively towards the paramedics and attempted to run at them into oncoming traffic. He stopped a passing vehicle and ran toward it; one of the paramedics got between Parsons and the vehicle and tried to calm him down. However, Parsons grabbed him and put him in a choke hold and the two ended up on the ground with the other paramedic trying to pull Parsons off. This is when a deputy arrived and the altercation came to an end. 

The paramedics were in good condition after the incident and Parsons was medically cleared at Florida Hospital DeLand before being transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he remained held Monday afternoon on $10,000 bail.