A Wildwood man was arrested after waving around a gun while intoxicated at a Leesburg bar and kicking three the officers who attempted to take him into custody.
Officers responded to Steve’s Package and Lounge, located at 1302 S. 14th St., regarding 37-year-old Alexander Maurice Sanders displaying a firearm in the back of the bar, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The establishment’s employees had requested he leave, but he refused to do so.
Upon arrival, an officer spotted Sanders standing near the back door of the bar. Several officers called his name out loud, and he acknowledged them. One of the officers asked him if he could explain the incident, but he did not, the report said.
An officer tried to converse with Sanders who was having difficulty standing up. The odor of alcohol was coming from his breath, his eyes were bloodshot and glossy, and his speech was slurred, leading the officers to believe he was intoxicated, the report said.
Another officer contacted the bartender who stated a customer approached her and said a man was in the back of the establishment with a firearm in his waistband, showing it to other patrons. The bartender approached the man, identified as Sanders, and asked him to leave the property. He had a black semiautomatic pistol in his right hand and waved it in the air. He never pointed it at her, though, the report said.
The bartender told Sanders he could not be on the property with a firearm and needed to leave. There were no firearms allowed at the bar or on the property per their policy and procedure. Sanders responded that he could have a firearm at the bar because he had a permit. She then called Leesburg emergency services for her safety and that of her customers, the report said.
While on scene, officers received mixed information about Sanders placing the firearm in the back of his car. Another customer said it was still in his possession, the report said.
An officer proceeded to speak with Sanders, explaining the reason for law enforcement’s presence and that they were conducting an investigation. Due to Sanders being heavily intoxicated, behaving disorderly while under the influence of alcohol, multiple witnesses saying he was waving a firearm, the firearm still potentially being on his person, and refusing to identify himself to verify if he could legally conceal carry and had a valid driver’s license, an officer tried to pat him down for safety, the report said.
Sanders said, “No,” and that the officers had no reason to check him. He was told he was being detained, and when officers tried to place him in hand restraints, he began to actively resist by pulling his arms away. He was given multiple instructions to “stop resisting,” which he ignored, the report said.
Sanders was redirected to the ground, and joint manipulation was used to try to gain control over him. He continued to resist and attempted to reach toward his pants. He was told multiple times to stop reaching toward his pants and resisting, the report said.
The officers eventually secured Sanders in two pairs of handcuffs and placed him under arrest despite him continuing to pull away his arms. He was instructed to stand up, which he refused to do multiple times. When trying to place him in a patrol vehicle, he dropped all his body weight and refused to get off the ground, the report said.
Sanders began to kick his feet out, still refusing to stand up. Due to this, he was placed in leg shackles where he started to resist officers again by pulling his legs away. He was told once more to stop resisting before two officers lifted him in front while another picked up his legs. He continued to say he was not going to jail, the report said.
While attempting to place Sanders in the back of a patrol vehicle, he kicked an officer with both feet in the center of his chest, knocking the officer back slightly. Sanders pulled his feet back, knowing the officer was behind him, and struck him again in the chest with intent. Two other officers tried to gain control over Sanders’ feet and got kicked in the process of getting him in the back of the patrol vehicle. He was eventually secured, and none of the officers sustained injuries, the report said.
Sanders was ultimately charged with three counts of resisting (simple obstruct with violence), disorderly intoxication and resisting (obstructing without violence). He was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $22,000.