For more than two minutes a Bradenton Police officer gave everything he had to fight off a burglar trying to get his gun, and gouge his eyes out.
On Wednesday morning, he told his story during a Bradenton Police news conference.
Lt. William Weldon was responding to a burglar alarm at Joyeria Latina (Latin Jewelry) store on the 2400 black of 9th Street West on Sunday morning.
Around 3:57 am, surveillance video shows the burglar break through the front glass door and start ransacking the business. Minutes later, video shows Weldon come through the front door, gun drawn. At first the burglar, identified as Isaac Hernandez, appears to give up. As Weldon holsters his gun to cuff him, the video shows Hernandez begin to fight the officer.
"I was afraid for my life I didn't know what to expect from him," said Lt. Weldon.
Hernandez puts Weldon in a headlock and the two begin to fight in the middle of the store. For more than 2 minutes the officer struggles. Hernandez, according to police was trying to go for Weldon’s gun and gouge the officer’s eyes out.
This guy he didn't want to give up,” Paola Suarez said. Suarez runs the store with her mom, who is the owner. “He was hitting the cop and hitting him, hitting him, and hitting him. The officer got so tired. We can see it in the video we feel so bad about it.
Thankfully, Weldon is able to get the upper hand on the burglar pull out his gun and knock him to the ground.
“Somehow the cop was able to hit him in the head and left him on the floor,” Suarez said.
Weldon was treated at an area hospital and released. Suarez said she is grateful the officer is back home with his family.
“We appreciate it and we would like to see him we are going to find out who he is,” Suarez said.
Hernandez was charged with Aggravated Battery on Law Enforcement and Burglary. He is being held on a $12,000 bond. Bradenton officers said Hernandez was in the country illegally from Honduras.
