TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A Tallahassee man is behind bars after deputies say he used a child as a human shield to protect himself from being tased while resisting an arrest.
According to court documents, Leon County deputies received reports of a domestic disturbance that occurred on Tuesday evening.
Deputies say the reports noted that two people were arguing and fighting. The caller also informed deputies that there were two children around the altercation and said that "someone is really being beaten on."
After receiving this information, deputies immediately responded to the home on Manchester Court. When they arrived on scene, they heard yelling and screaming coming from the home.
Documents say while deputies were investigating the scene, they noticed a woman and a few other people yelling at a man. They say the man took a step back as if the woman had just pushed him and now the woman currently had her hands raised in a defensive position.
Deputies then intervened and asked the man to show them his hands. The man was later identified as 41-year-old Robert Williams.
Documents say while pointing their taser at Williams, deputies ordered him to the ground several times before he finally complied. When Williams finally got on the ground, he refused to lay face down.
Deputies say Williams then called one of the children over to his side.
Deputies instructed the child to stay back several times and twice they had to guide the child away from Williams, because they were in fear for the child's safety. During the incident, deputies say Williams kept trying to keep the child close to him.
Williams eventually managed to coerce the child to come close enough to him to grab the child and wrap the child in his arms, according to court documents.
Deputies immediately ordered Williams to let go of the child but Williams had the child in his arms, using him as a shield so he wouldn't be tased by deputies.
After minutes of giving commands for Williams to let the child go, he finally complied and laid face down on the ground. Deputies then attempted to place him in custody but Williams resisted and tried to push himself off the ground.
Documents say after several warning's deputies had to fire their taser to get him to stop resisting.
Based on the evidence, Williams was transported to the Leon County Detention Facility on Tuesday. He has been charged with domestic battery and resisting arrest without violence.
"Furthermore, Williams is being charged with child abuse cruelty toward child without great hard for using his son as a human shield to guard himself," investigators wrote in the arrest report.
As of Thursday, Williams remains behind bars on a $5,500 bond.
