ORLANDO, Fla. — Officials say a man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly attacking a police officer in downtown Orlando.
Officers said Daniel Robinson, 22, refused to pay his bill at the Corner Pizza Bar, pushed the owner then left. He allegedly started choking a responding officer across the street after employees called 911.
Investigators say Robinson resisted two Orlando police officers as they tried arresting him, and as they took him to the ground, one officer screamed out, “He’s choking me.”
According to a report, the officer was able to escape the chokehold with the help of the other officer.
According to the report, the officer who helped the choking officer said, “I was in fear that great bodily injury or death would occur.”
That officer said he punched Robinson in the face until he stopped choking the other officer.
According to the report, officers also maced Robinson, who’s around 6 feet, 2 inches and 280 pounds.
Court records show Robinson was also maced by officers last year after he allegedly stalked a woman. She said he started touching her on a bus as she went to work last November, then followed her off the bus. That’s when she called 911.
WFTV typically does not name victims in these cases, but this woman, Mariah Gilbert, spoke on camera and consented to being identified. She said, “I am upset and kind of in shock because that could have been me. Thinking about what could have happened. Very disheartening to see that someone would do that.”
Records show Robinson was also arrested for battery upon a different woman and petite theft at the outlet mall last year.
Gilbert said she hopes he stays in jail and gets the help he needs.
“Now I have the opportunity to testify against him,” she said.
No one from the Orlando Police Department was available to comment, but retired Orlando Police Chief Rolon said, “A chokehold can be deemed deadly when it comes to the type of harm that it can inflict on someone.”
“I am upset and kind of in shock because that could have been me. Thinking about what could have happened. Very disheartening to see that someone would do that,” Rolon said.
According to the report in Tuesday’s case, Robinson told officers that he paid for his food at the Corner Pizza Bar using his cellphone, but it went dead. Officers say his cellphone had power.
He is charged with resisting officers with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer.
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