WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Two Winter Haven officers were injured after they encountered a man in a wheelchair wielding a 9-inch knife early Friday morning.
- Officers slashed by a knife-wielding man in a wheelchair
- Man was flashing knife at Central Tavern
- Man refused to comply with cop commands
Police received a call just after midnight about a man in a wheelchair flashing a knife at Central Tavern. However, the man left the bar just before police arrived.
Officers found 29-year-old Emmanuel Mejia around the corner in front of a business just beside the parking garage.
Officers said they saw a large sword-style knife on the back of the wheelchair and removed it for safety reasons.
The officers also said they thought he was holding a weapon under his thigh and asked him to show his hands, but when he refused officers used a taser to get him to comply. Once he pulled his hands from under his thighs, police said he was holding a large serrated knife.
When Mejia refused to hand over the knife, officers tackled him to the ground, at which point he slashed one of the officers in the face and neck -- then threw the knife at the other officer, causing a cut on his hand.
Winter Haven Police Chief Charlie Bird said the officers were treated for their injuries and released at the scene.
“I’m relieved that my officers went home last night with superficial wounds. I’m relieved that even Mr. Mejia (sic), because we value life. Those officers showed a lot of restraint,” Bird said.
“There was certainly some justification in using deadly force, especially when that knife was seen," Bird continued. "So again, these officers used some wisdom for being young officers, and I commend them for it."
Bird said the two officers have only been with the department for a little over a year.
Mejia was arrested on several charges including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies have been called to Mejia’s home 24 times since 2015, and that he was Baker acted in 2016 and 2017.