Latest Headlines
- Former Ernest Ward Middle School Bookkeeper Charged With Embezzling Over $50,000
- SEC Soccer Tournament Draws Thousands To Escambia County, National TV Coverage
- Steven Barry Keeps Escambia County Commission District 5 Seat For Fourth Term
- Amendments: Marijuana and Abortion Rights Fail. Here’s What Passed
- Voters Renew Half-cent Sales Tax For Escambia Schools
- Complete Escambia County Election Results
- Steve Stroberger, Who Ousted Jeff Bergosh, Wins District 1 Commission Seat Over Write-In Candidates
- Ashlee Hofberger Wins District 4 Escambia Commission Seat
- Century Voters Approve Two Charter Amendments, Reject Third
- Don Gaetz Elected To Florida Senate District 1
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”
In and out of consciousness twice and couldn’t cuff him. What were y’all doing?, eating doughnuts in between
Redirect that energy to something useful like pouring concrete, framing houses, construction, etc.
Probably trying to get a little “street cred.” It would be a good idea to stay out of thunderstorms with those metal eyebrows.
Dang y’all had to beat him up like that ?
How does it feel … quasimodo
We need a sequel!!!!!!
Hey Eric, you might wanna tell your friends that ”there’s a NEW SHERIFF in town! Great job ECSO!!
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.
“Hey you guuuyyyyyysss!!!”
ECSO “1” Bad Guy “0”
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 .
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
Daaaaaang! Auditions for Quasimodo are coming up in our local school play!
Be a threat, resist with violence and this is the result. Doesn’t matter the race or color.
This must be the “other guy” we should’ve seen.
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??
Being a threat and resist with violence and this is what happens. Doesn’t matter the race or color.
Yet, another black eye for Escambia county ……..
This time it WAS his fault, mess with the
wrong dog and see what you get……
2nd place finish
It was reported, that he said “Go big, or go home”. jk
Good job LEO’S!
I think his problem is his neck tattoo wasn’t big enough!
Awesome job ECSO. Glad to hear all ya’ll are O.K. Keep up the good work & stay safe!
he made national news, he is on foxnews.com right now
If yer gunna be stupid, you gotta be tough.
What is in the food in Flomaton? This guy had to be on cow patty mushrooms & thought he was Godzilla.
Just a note, a conceal carry could have stopped this at the grabbed steering wheel act. Everyone is safe and sound, criminal dead.
Dude nice eyebrow piercings!!
My bad dawg.
Staples
What Was I Thinking! Caption on photo.
Battery on a police dog ???
What bleeding in his mouth…..
Look at that mug shot in what will soon be an internet sensation; “Local Man Made Famous By Police” LOL!
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!
I wonder if he was on spice or something?
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that he lost.
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.
My first thought was of Halloween, but those thoughts were swiftly replaced with thoughts of do not fight the law.
K9 Zeek, your a hero, get well soon
HEY YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!
Baby Ruth!!
Gonna be hard getting him into that jail cell with his head swole up like that!!
Yikes. Looks like Sloth has fallen on hard times
Drugs and mental illness does not go together.
“I fought the law…..u know the rest……
I fought the law and the law won.
Sing that one to jail.
One person could have prevented this but nooooo, he just had to show how tough he was. Looks like he paid the price.