A Florida cop who was attacked and nearly had his eyes gouged out during a call on Sunday is being hailed for using his gun to pistol whip the burglary suspect instead of shooting him.
Lt. William Weldon of the Bradenton Police Department was dispatched to a jewelry store around 4 a.m. for what was believed to be a false security alarm.
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But when he arrived he noticed broken glass and discovered a burglary in process.
When Weldon entered the store with his gun drawn and was confronted by 23-year-old Isaac Dubon, an illegal immigrant from Honduras.
Security camera footage showed Dubon with hands up appearing to comply to Weldon’s orders.
“I wasn’t going to fire on an unarmed man, so I put my weapon away and I attempted to take him into custody,” Weldon told reporters on Wednesday, still with intense signs of bruising around his eyes from the attack.
Weldon, a 15 year veteran of the police force, holstered his gun and went to apprehend the suspect. That’s when the man began to fight back.
“I don’t know if he understood English, but there was no conversation between the two of us,” he said.
Video shows the two men wrestling for nearly 90 seconds, including one point where the suspect puts Weldon into a headlock and began pressing his fingers into the officer’s eyes.
That’s when Weldon knew things were serious.
“I was afraid for my life,” Weldon said.
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Weldon was able to escape the clutches of the suspect, but said his vision was so blurred he saw four versions of Dubon.
All Weldon could do was reach for the suspect and hit him with his gun.
WATCH: Florida cop describes struggle with jewelry store burglar
The pistol whip knocked Dubon unconscious, sending him falling to the floor.
Weldon credited his experience and training for allowing both Dubon and himself to leave the store alive.
“Anytime that you can get into a fight like this and walk away, and you both walk away, its always a good day,” said Weldon.
The incident was over just seconds before backup arrived and took Dubon into custody, while surveillance video showed an exhausted and relieved Weldon slump over a jewelry cabinet.
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Asked how he restrained himself from using his gun to shoot Dubon, Weldon had a simple answer.
“We don’t come to work thinking we’re going to have to, or we want to shoot somebody.”
Both Weldon and Dubon were taken to hospital with facial injuries.
Dubon is being held by the U.S. federal government in the Manatee County Jail on charges of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, unarmed burglary of an unoccupied structure, theft and resisting arrest with violence.
Dubon is also suspected in several other crimes.
Lt. Weldon offered to return to work the very next day, but the Bradenton police Chief gave him time off to recover.
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