Photo: Douglas Sacha / Moment / Getty Images
Last Friday, a bystander helped Florida police officers detain a suspect who escaped custody outside South Seminole Hospital in Longwood. Professional poker player Ricky Pyne was walking near the hospital when he heard officers shouting “Freeze, freeze, freeze!” and saw a struggle unfolding. Pyne asked the officers if they needed help, and after they agreed, he stepped in to assist.
According to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect had been injured during an earlier arrest and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. While under supervision, he slipped out of his handcuffs and escaped the hospital. Pyne says he used his size advantage to help subdue the suspect alongside the officers until they could get him back in handcuffs.
The suspect is now back in custody, facing additional charges including battery on law enforcement and escape from custody, and is being held without bond. A pair of officers involved in the altercation have been hospitalized with minor injuries. Pyne later told reporters he couldn't stand by and let the officers get hurt, saying he’d have felt worse if he “didn’t do anything and something happened.”
Source: FOX 35 ORLANDO