A Florida man is still in jail Sunday morning after sucker-punching a Florida Highway Patrol trooper on the side of an interstate on Friday.
According to FHP, Trooper Ruiz had been dispatched around 10 a.m. for a pedestrian, later identified as Alexander Hernandez Delgado, on the left shoulder of I-4.
Delgado was clad in a Mickey Mouse shirt and carrying a duffle bag. Trooper Ruiz approached Delgado and asked why he was walking along I-4.
According to an FHP report, Delgado told the trooper he was an artist, and his mom had “just kicked him out of the house”.
Trooper Ruiz tried to search Delgado and put him in the back of his cruiser.
“The subject became argumentative and stated that I am bothering him and that he would like to be left alone,” Trooper Ruiz said in the arrest report. “I stated to him that I’m just trying to assist him off the interstate and attempted to guide the subject towards the back seat of my patrol vehicle.”
Dash camera video shows Ruiz speaking to Delgado, when out of nowhere, Delgado sucker punches the trooper.
“The subject attempted to run north towards the center median guardrail and I attempted to place the subject in custody and the subject proceeds to resist with violence throwing several punches and striking me again,” Ruiz noted.
The dashcam video shows Ruiz tackling Delgado in the median with screams and the struggle visible.
Motorists stopped, including a tractor-trailer to assist Trooper Ruiz.
Delgado was arrested and both men were checked for injuries by paramedics. Delgado had a “minor cut on his chin,” FHP said.
Delgado was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and charged with Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Resisting an Officer with Violence.
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I’m sorry, the man was walking carrying a backpack, what crime was he committing again that he needed to harassed by the 5-0?
No pedestrians on the interstate, dumbo.
The Trooper was doing his job in preventing posible accident with grave consequences included a fatal one. Thanks tithe concern coticen that assisted the Trooper.