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Video shows Florida jail inmate trying to strangle deputy before other prisoners help the officer

 
Hillsborough Detention Deputy Daniel Hernandez was patrolling a pod housing 72 inmates at the Falkenberg Road Jail when Kiondre Y. Zachary, 22, attacked him from behind about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office said. [Image from video]

Hillsborough Detention Deputy Daniel Hernandez was patrolling a pod housing 72 inmates at the Falkenberg Road Jail when Kiondre Y. Zachary, 22, attacked him from behind about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office said. [Image from video]
Published March 3, 2017

A detention deputy at the Falkenburg Road Jail was injured Tuesday afternoon by an inmate attempting to strangle him, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Deputy Daniel Hernandez, 31, was patrolling a pod housing 72 inmates at the county jail when Kiondre Y. Zachary, 22, attacked him from behind at about 12:30 p.m., the Sheriff's Office said.

Surveillance video shows Hernandez was talking with a group of inmates when Zachary walked toward him with a twisted towel in hand and looped it around his neck in an attempt to strangle him. Hernandez quickly turned and wriggled free from the towel. Zachary then attempted to run away, but other inmates helped Hernandez hold him to the ground until more deputies arrived.

Hernandez, who has worked for the Sheriff's Office for 10 months, suffered a twisted ankle, bruised knee and abrasions to his neck during the attack. Zachary was uninjured.

Zachary is facing a charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and was placed in an isolation cell. He was in jail on felony burglary and battery charges after he entered a Cypress Apartments residence hall unit at the University of South Florida in September and "hugged and touched" the residents inside without permission, according to his arrest report. In January he was found incompetent to stand trial, court records show.

A Sheriff's Office spokesman said Zachary's attack appeared to be unprovoked and praised the inmates who came to Hernandez's aid.

"Due to the overall professionalism and respect that detention deputies display toward the inmates on a daily basis, the inmates came to the deputy's aid preventing the deputy from being seriously injured," said spokesman Larry McKinnon in a news release.