A Florida inmate died at a hospital after attacking detention officers at a Frostproof city jail, according to authorities.
Eric Nelson, a 26-year-old registered sex offender with a criminal record, died at a hospital Friday after attempting to punch, kick and bite deputies, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said, according to FOX 13.
He was arrested Friday by the Lakeland Police Department following a report of a possible robbery suspect running from a Taco Bell toward a Starbucks. Officers located him in the Starbucks parking lot and searched the backpack he had in his possession.
Officers found syringes and a sachet of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine in the backpack. Nelson told officers that he uses the needles to “shoot methamphetamine.”
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Eric Nelson, a 26-year-old registered sex offender with a criminal record, died at a hospital Friday after attempting to punch, kick and bite deputies, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.
(Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
Nelson was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was then taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center, where he became agitated and began cursing at the jail and nursing staff. He told staff members that he hadn’t slept in five days and that he had recently been released from prison, according to the sheriff’s office.
Medical staff said he appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
He was placed in a private cell where he became enraged and began repeatedly kicking the cell door, authorities said. Medical staff said he would have to be placed in a medical dormitory on suicide watch as a result of his aggressive behavior and threatening to harm officers and other inmates.
Deputies then took him to the South County Jail in Frostproof, the sheriff’s office said.
Nelson was escorted to a locker room in the medical dormitory, where he proceeded to remove his shirt and punched an officer in the face twice. He struggled with three officers who were trying to handcuff him.
A Florida inmate died at a hospital after attacking detention officers at a Frostproof city jail, according to authorities.
(Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
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Polk County investigators said Nelson continued to punch, kick and bite deputies even after he was knocked down. Additional deputies came in to help after he struck a deputy with his arm who had a loose handcuff around him.
Agents said they believed Nelson was displaying greater strength than a normal person would, and that it was likely because he was under the influence of an illegal drug.
Authorities said officers were eventually able to secure him in handcuffs and shackle his leg as he continued to try to fight them off. Nelson was taken to a cell by four officers as he continued to fight.
Agents said they believed Nelson was displaying greater strength than a normal person would, and that it was likely because he was under the influence of an illegal drug.
(Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
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Nelson was placed on the floor of his private cell so that officers could remove his restraints, which is protocol. Deputies then noticed that he was not breathing and that his face was changing color, the sheriff’s office said.
The center’s medical staff grabbed a defibrillator and began performing CPR. Nelson was transported to a hospital but later died.
Four inquests have been launched into Nelson’s death. The sheriff’s office said the Polk County Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine his cause of death.
