By Leon Fooksman
The Sun-Sentinel
LANTANA, Fla. — After getting shot in the shoulder and sprayed with pepper spray, a 26-year-old man kept coming at a deputy in a dark field west of Lantana on Wednesday morning, officials said.
“I’m gonna to kill you,” Bronson Antao allegedly screamed at Deputy James Evans several times as he grabbed bullet clips from a pouch on Evans’ weapons belt and bashed Evans in the head.
Three to five minutes later, two other deputies finally put Antao in handcuffs.
“This was a life-and-death struggle,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Paul Miller said. “It could have been a tragic situation.”
Trouble started shortly before midnight Tuesday when Evans, 32, and Deputy Lorin Tembeckjian, 28, stopped Antao as he pulled his Hyundai into Stor-All Storage in the 4300 block of Hypoluxo Road, according to a police report. He was spotted moments earlier circling suspiciously in a housing development on Gateway Boulevard and Military Trail.
Before the deputies could question him, Antao drove into Tembeckjian, pinning him between two cars and injuring his legs, the report said. Tembeckjian and Evans fired their guns as Antao drove off. One of the shots reportedly hit Antao in the shoulder, but he kept driving until his tires blew out about a block away. Antao bailed out and ran to a field in the rear of a residential development, with Evans chasing behind him.
Evans tackled Antao in the field and the two began exchanging blows, the record said. Antao tried to grab Evans’ gun, and while on the ground, he got Evans’ bullet magazines, according to the report. Evans said he fought back by striking Antao with his portable radio and spraying Antao with pepper stray. When Evans moved back toward two other deputies who had arrived to help him, Antao reportedly attacked them, too. They eventually overpowered Antao and restrained him.
Tembeckjian, Evans and another deputy, John Orozco, 26, were taken to JFK Medical Center in Atlantis and later released. Orozco was treated for a hand injury.
Antao was treated at Delray Medical Center. His injury wasn’t serious, Miller said. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence, and one count of attempting to deprive a law enforcement officer of his protection.
What caused Antao to attack the deputies was not known, Miller said.
Tembeckjian and Evans are on paid administrative leave as detectives investigate the incident.
Copyright 2008 The Sun-Sentinel