A man from Florida was captured on police body camera footage using his infant as a human shield, in order to avoid being arrested by the police in Palm Coast, Flagler County, Florida.
Brandon Matthew Douglas Leohner, 27, was taken into police custody shortly after the incident on September 27, 2022. He faces numerous charges, including using a child as a human shield, child neglect, kidnapping, resisting arrest, and aggravated assault.
The body cam video released by police shows the horrifying incident where Leohner is holding up the one-year-old on his chest as Flagler County police officers try to pursue him.
Authorities released a statement saying that the shocking episode started when they responded to a 911 call about the kidnapping of a one-year-old toddler. The caller alleged that Leohner kidnapped the baby while armed with a firearm and drove off with him.
The Flagler County Sheriff office reported that after the disturbing 911 call, police officers spotted a man driving recklessly and speeding. The deputies unsuccessfully tried to stop the man as he quickly sped away from the scene.
Leohner drove to a McDonald’s parking lot and got out of the car holding the child in front of him.
The video footage shows him holding the one-year-old baby close to his chest in a defensive way outside the fast-food chain’s drive-thru window, as police officers approached him.
One of the officers in the footage was holding a K-9 officer (a dog) that looked ready to pounce.
Despite many shouts by the police for him to let go of the baby, Leohner didn’t put the infant down and instead continued to use his son to shield himself.
The video footage shows one of the officers ordering the man to get on the ground, while the other officer pulls out a taser and points it at the suspect, who continues to use the child, who is in a diaper and a tee-shirt, as a shield.
However, after a few minutes, police officers managed to neutralize the situation by hitting Leohner with a taser. In the footage, he is seen falling down in front of a car with the infant. The police rushed to the boy’s aid and rescued him from his dad.
The child called out to his father, “da da.”
After being brought to the ground, Leohner continued to resist arrest, and even got up and tried to run away, until the K-9 bit him and he was subdued.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said that the officers responded quickly to save the child from the deranged man, who was eventually arrested. The baby was not injured and was given back to Leohner’s girlfriend, the child’s mother, shortly after being rescued.
The Sheriff also said that the domestic violence incident had put the life of an innocent baby and other motorists in danger as his officers tried to resolve the chaotic incident and rescue the child from the man who had no second thoughts about using the child as a human shield.
Leohner was taken to an inmate detention facility after having his injuries examined in the hospital. He will remain in police custody until his hearing.
