Escambia County Firefighter Assaulted by Dog While Assisting at RV Crash; Driver Taken Into Custody
DEBARYLIFE: Florida’s Escambia County As they responded to an RV crash on Wednesday afternoon, a volunteer firefighter from Escambia County was bitten by a dog, as reported by NorthEscambia.com.
Following that, 47-year-old Robert Long of Pace, the driver of the RV, was taken into custody on the following charges:
The incident took place on North Highway 99 close to Hanks Road at approximately 3:45 p.m. After an RV crash, firemen in Escambia County were called to assist a trapped resident.
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According to NorthEscambia.com, a volunteer firefighter from Walnut Hill arrived first, driving his truck. When he got there, he allegedly discovered Long standing outside the car.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, “Long told deputies his 80-year-old mother was in the RV and was unable to get out.” “Long also told deputies that he had two dogs in the RV that were aggressive and would attack if they felt threatened.”
In order to enable deputies and Escambia County Fire Rescue to safely extract the 80-year-old from the RV, investigators say that Long was ordered to take the dogs out of the RV and keep them on leashes.
“Long took the dogs out and to the side of the RV, at which time he removed their leashes,” stated the press announcement.
The firefighter was then attacked by one of the dogs as he approached the RV; the dog bit the man and knocked him to the ground. The dog, shot by an Escambia County deputy who was already on the scene, passed away shortly after.
The firefighter’s arm and leg were hurt, but not seriously. For medical attention, he was brought to the hospital.
When Escambia County Animal Control arrived to take the second dog away, the dog long resisted the arrival of a law enforcement official.
“Long was given multiple commands to place the second dog on a leash and out of the way so law enforcement could speak with him,” the release says. “Long refused to let go of the dog, and held the dog in between himself and law enforcement, gripping the dog tightly, causing it to whine in pain.”
Before being taken into custody, Long was tased. He is still being held behind bars with a $3,150 bond.
According to reports, the RV had been in the ditch since at least 2:00 PM. At approximately 3:45 p.m., someone reported it as a traffic collision involving a trapped occupant.