MASCOTTE, FL—A man found sleeping behind a dumpster in Mascotte threatened and tried to spit on officers, EMS and firefighters who attempted to walk him to an ambulance, police say.
Jerome Anthony Burke, 52, put up a fight after mistaking one of the EMS personnel for the manager of the store who kicked him out earlier that day, the Mascotte arrest affidavit said.
Police discovered him behind a dumpster out back of the store after the manager called them to get him off the property, the report said. When they found him apparently drinking and in a fetal position, they called EMS and Lake County Fire Rescue to have him looked over.
When he spotted an EMT who reminded him of the manager, he reportedly got angry and started resisting and making threats, at one point telling those helping him that he'd shoot their kids and that "the first thing I'm going to do when I get out is kill a cop," the affidavit said.
He also tried to spit on EMS personnel, but a firefighter managed to put a mask on him before he could.
He was charged with five counts of aggravated assault on firefighters and EMS, five counts of threatening a public servant and trespassing. Bail was set at $51,000.
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