Flomaton Man Violently Fights With Deputies And K-9 During Arrest, ECSO Says

January 30, 2021

A Flomaton man is accused of violently fighting with deputies and a K-9 after attempting to illegally enter an occupied vehicle and illegally enter an occupied home.

Eric Tyler Mathis, 25, was charged with attempted carjacking, attempted burglary of an occupied residence, three counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, and battery on a police dog.

A caller told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that a man, later identified as Mathis, was walking in and out of traffic in the area of North 50th Avenue and State Street and had attempted to grab their steering wheel.

A man returned to his home on State Street to find Mathis on his front porch and attempting to enter the home while his daughter was inside.

When deputies arrived moments later, they found Mathis sitting on the steps to a carport door and hiding behind a tarp. He refused to comply with multiple orders from deputies to get on the ground, according to an arrest report.

The report states Mathis then took steps toward deputies in an aggressive manner. He was taken to the ground but continued to resist commands and efforts to place him in handcuffs. He began to push off the ground with multiple deputies on top of him. Two deputies delivered multiple strikes to Mathis’s head and face, ultimately knocking him unconscious.

Mathis regained consciousness as four deputies attempted to place his hands behind his back, and he continued to fight with deputies. Deputies delivered several more strikes to his head and face, knocking Mathis unconscious a second time.

Mathis regained consciousness again and continued to fight back. Deputies tased him, but the taser was ineffective.

Deputies then deployed K-9 Zeek on Mathis, the report states. While Zeek was holding Mathis, Mathis grabbed Zeek around the neck. Deputies were able to regain control over both of Mathis’ hands and placed him in handcuffs after the dog was removed.

“We are glad the vehicle occupant was not harmed and we are glad the homeowner was not harmed,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “We are also glad neither the deputies or K-9 Zeek were seriously injured. A person cannot illegally enter another person’s occupied vehicle, cannot illegally enter another person’s occupied home, and cannot fight the efforts of law enforcement officers. Let’s not forget about the victims of these crimes and how terrifying it must have been for them. We value the lives and safety of our residents. I would rather our deputies not have to use any force. I also wish criminals did not put our citizens and deputies in harm’s way.”

Mathis was transported to Baptist Hospital for treatment and then booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $136,000.

K-9 Zeek was uninjured.

Comments

41 Responses to “Flomaton Man Violently Fights With Deputies And K-9 During Arrest, ECSO Says”

  1. Lil john on February 1st, 2021 1:38 pm

    In and out of consciousness twice and couldn’t cuff him. What were y’all doing?, eating doughnuts in between

  2. worker on February 1st, 2021 8:14 am

    Redirect that energy to something useful like pouring concrete, framing houses, construction, etc.

  3. Hoosier Daddy on January 31st, 2021 11:13 pm

    Probably trying to get a little “street cred.” It would be a good idea to stay out of thunderstorms with those metal eyebrows.

  4. WowamazedG on January 31st, 2021 9:58 pm

    Dang y’all had to beat him up like that ?

  5. David on January 31st, 2021 7:23 pm

    How does it feel … quasimodo

    We need a sequel!!!!!!

  6. Karen on January 31st, 2021 11:27 am

    Hey Eric, you might wanna tell your friends that ”there’s a NEW SHERIFF in town! Great job ECSO!!

  7. bob c on January 31st, 2021 9:22 am

    Eric Mathis you gonna need another Mug Shot done once you heal up a bit.
    C’mon Man…turn that life around before you end up with a Toe Tag on the cooling slab.

  8. Roger Pettis on January 31st, 2021 7:30 am

    “Hey you guuuyyyyyysss!!!”

  9. Julie Booth-Moran on January 31st, 2021 12:41 am

    ECSO “1” Bad Guy “0”

  10. Stumpknocker on January 30th, 2021 10:48 pm

    See this is why we need to refund the police and put social worker out there, I’m sure all this could have been avoided, sarcasm!!!!!! Lol .

  11. John Smith on January 30th, 2021 8:35 pm

    Emily Fouche, those are staples. And in the ER we will stitch and staple wounds, but we aren’t scrubbing anyone fully clean. He can take his own shower in jail! LOL

  12. pencil on January 30th, 2021 7:46 pm

    Daaaaaang! Auditions for Quasimodo are coming up in our local school play!

  13. DJC on January 30th, 2021 3:39 pm

    Be a threat, resist with violence and this is the result. Doesn’t matter the race or color.

  14. Me on January 30th, 2021 3:15 pm

    This must be the “other guy” we should’ve seen.

  15. Citizen on January 30th, 2021 2:43 pm

    All y’all judging Eric don’t know this man.
    He’s a wonderful, compassionate person.
    This is the fault of the homeowner and the police for not complying with Eric’s demands!!

    … am I doing it right??
    ;-)

  16. DJC on January 30th, 2021 1:39 pm

    Being a threat and resist with violence and this is what happens. Doesn’t matter the race or color.

  17. J.Larry Seale on January 30th, 2021 1:32 pm

    Yet, another black eye for Escambia county ……..
    This time it WAS his fault, mess with the
    wrong dog and see what you get……

  18. Bill on January 30th, 2021 12:46 pm

    2nd place finish

  19. JR on January 30th, 2021 11:50 am

    It was reported, that he said “Go big, or go home”. jk
    Good job LEO’S!

  20. BentStraight on January 30th, 2021 11:46 am

    I think his problem is his neck tattoo wasn’t big enough!

  21. Pete on January 30th, 2021 11:35 am

    Awesome job ECSO. Glad to hear all ya’ll are O.K. Keep up the good work & stay safe!

  22. ep on January 30th, 2021 11:10 am

    he made national news, he is on foxnews.com right now

  23. Hmmm on January 30th, 2021 11:07 am

    If yer gunna be stupid, you gotta be tough.

  24. SueB on January 30th, 2021 10:47 am

    What is in the food in Flomaton? This guy had to be on cow patty mushrooms & thought he was Godzilla.

  25. JTV on January 30th, 2021 10:01 am

    Just a note, a conceal carry could have stopped this at the grabbed steering wheel act. Everyone is safe and sound, criminal dead.

  26. Well on January 30th, 2021 9:55 am

    Dude nice eyebrow piercings!!

    My bad dawg.

    Staples

  27. tg on January 30th, 2021 9:55 am

    What Was I Thinking! Caption on photo.

  28. Willis on January 30th, 2021 9:52 am

    Battery on a police dog ???
    What bleeding in his mouth…..

  29. Oversight on January 30th, 2021 9:32 am

    Look at that mug shot in what will soon be an internet sensation; “Local Man Made Famous By Police” LOL!

  30. Citizen on January 30th, 2021 9:30 am

    Lucky for him the daughter in the home didn’t solve tge issue permanently. You don’t go around in the country doing this without a death wise. Glad the good guys won again!

  31. CW on January 30th, 2021 8:57 am

    I wonder if he was on spice or something?

  32. brianh on January 30th, 2021 8:44 am

    I’m going to go out on a limb and say that he lost.

  33. Emily Fouche' on January 30th, 2021 8:28 am

    If you look real close you’ll see stitches on his eyebrow. So this mug shot was taken after they cleaned his face up. Wow, I wonder how bad it looked before the clean up.

  34. 429SCJ on January 30th, 2021 8:08 am

    My first thought was of Halloween, but those thoughts were swiftly replaced with thoughts of do not fight the law.

  35. JTV on January 30th, 2021 7:40 am

    K9 Zeek, your a hero, get well soon

  36. Chris on January 30th, 2021 7:15 am

    HEY YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!

    Baby Ruth!!

    Gonna be hard getting him into that jail cell with his head swole up like that!!

  37. Jeffrey on January 30th, 2021 6:33 am

    Yikes. Looks like Sloth has fallen on hard times

  38. fisherman on January 30th, 2021 2:54 am

    Drugs and mental illness does not go together.

  39. biscuit on January 30th, 2021 2:42 am

    “I fought the law…..u know the rest……

  40. Just saying on January 30th, 2021 1:44 am

    I fought the law and the law won.

    Sing that one to jail.

  41. Rasheed Jackson. on January 30th, 2021 1:06 am

    One person could have prevented this but nooooo, he just had to show how tough he was. Looks like he paid the price.