Man bites cop, puts another in chokehold after Hallandale Beach crash, police say
A Hallandale Beach police officer rushing to the site of a collision was ambushed by one of the people involved in the crash, authorities say.
Around 4:15 p.m., Officer Valchev, whose first name was not given, made his way to the scene of an accident involving a car that crashed into a house in the 400 block of Northwest Seventh Court, Hallandale Beach police said.
When Valchev stepped out of his police cruiser, Antonio Philmore, the driver of the car, snuck up behind him and placed the officer into a chokehold with a tight enough grip that Valchev began losing consciousness. Philmore, 36, gave no warning before the assault.
“The assault occurred so abruptly that Officer Valchev had no opportunity to defend himself before being placed in the chokehold,” police said.
A host of officers came to offer back up and tried to arrest Philmore as he “violently” resisted. He was tased and hit by officers but he still was able to bite back-up Officer Tufano, whose first name was also not given.
Philmore is facing three counts of resisting arrest with violence, two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, one count of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and one count of simple assault on a law enforcement officer.
Philmore was eventually successfully subdued. Tufano, Valchev and Philmore were all taken to the hospital for treatment. Valchev sustained a head injury requiring staples and Tufano was being treated for a possible broken hand. Both officers have since been released from the hospital.
Philmore is still in the hospital, but when he is medically cleared he will be taken to Broward County Jail.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Hallandale Beach Police Department at 954-457-1400 or submit an anonymous tip to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.
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