A homeless man was arrested for allegedly pulling a knife on two security officers at AdventHealth Waterman.
A Tavares police officer was dispatched at 4:23 a.m. Saturday to the hospital, located at 1000 Waterman Way. While on the way, the officer was informed the suspect was 36-year-old William Ray Turner, who he was familiar with from previous interactions, according to the police report.
The officer found Turner walking on the sidewalk near the intersection of Huffstetler Drive and U.S. 441. When approached by the officer, Turner voluntarily showed his hands and got on the ground. While doing so, he said he didn’t have a knife and didn’t do anything. This was before the officer ever mentioned anything about a knife. Turner was detained without incident, the report said.
At the hospital, the security officers said Turner was being discharged from the emergency room and they were escorting him out because they always have issues with him. The officers said Turner made several challenges threats towards them and brandished an open blade knife. They said when he got close to the exit, Turner turned around and made an aggressive movement towards them, causing an officer to draw and point his taser at him. All of this was captured on the hospital’s surveillance and the security officers’ body cameras, according to the report.
Turner did not have a knife in his possession and it is believed he disposed of it before the police officer approached him. He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he’s being held on $4,000 bond. Turner is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on Feb. 6.