In a bizarre incident from Flagler County, Florida, two deputies were attacked when they tried to rescue a man who entered a snake- and alligator-infested canal.
The incident occurred on July 3, when officers reached the shore and made verbal attempts to get him out of the canal, but failed.
As a result, they decided to go in and save the exhausted man before he was attacked by an alligator.
But little did they know that the man would attempt to choke and drown them, despite their efforts to save his life.
Deputies Received a Report of a Man Trying to Climb the Side of Their House
According to a report by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, deputies conducted a welfare check for Ryan McMinn, 47, who was spotted shirtless, lying on the ground in front of Wadsworth Elementary School.
When the deputy attempted to check on McMinn, he fled on foot. Soon after, the Flagler County Emergency Communications Center received a call from a resident on Whittle Place in Palm Coast.
A man was reportedly crawling around in their backyard and trying to climb the side of their house. It was McMinn.
When the deputies located him near the canal behind the residence and asked him if he was alright, he ran into the canal and began swimming.
Risking Their Lives, the Deputies Followed Him
The sight of the deputies prompted McMinn to flee. Despite them ordering McMinn multiple times to exit the canal, he refused.
Soon, the deputies noticed that McMinn had started to show signs of exhaustion. With no other option left since McMinn was not complying with their orders, both deputies entered the water to pull him out.
But the task at hand was not easy in any way. When they reached McMinn, he began “pushing and pulling” to try to escape. He even tried to push a deputy’s head underwater and tried to grab the neck of the other deputy.
Eventually, the deputies were able to overpower him and bring him ashore. McMinn was then treated by Flagler County Fire Rescue and was transported to AdventHealth Palm Coast, where he received treatment and was medically cleared.
McMinn was arrested and charged with two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer. He was then taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and is being held on a $5,000 bond.
Sheriff Rick Staly commended the deputies for their brave efforts to save McMinn from the canal. He said:
“Battering a Deputy Sheriff will guarantee you the loss of your freedom and a trip to jail. These deputies went into the water to rescue this guy, and he responded by fighting them. I commend our deputies for their willingness to get in a canal that usually have snakes and gators and pull this guy to safety before he drowned.”
It is not known why McMinn behaved so violently toward the deputies, nor whether they sustained injuries as a result of the scuffle with him.