PALM COAST, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida man accused of kidnapping a toddler was arrested on Sept. 27 after deputies said he used the child as a human shield during a standoff.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Brandon Matthew Douglas Leohner, 27, of Palm Coast was suspected of abducting his girlfriend’s 1-year-old from her home while armed with a gun.
Deputies said Leohner drove off with the child in his lap until they found him driving recklessly on Belle Terre Parkway. When deputies tried to pull him over, the suspect allegedly fled from them onto State Road 100 — driving into oncoming traffic before going into a Target shopping center’s parking lot, according to the sheriff’s office.
He then drove into a McDonald’s parking lot, parked near the drive-thru, and exited his vehicle with the child in his arms.
Body cam video showed deputies confronting Leohner as he shouted at them to stop while using the child as a human child.
“Put the baby down!” deputies shouted as they commanded him to surrender.
It was not long until the deputy wearing the body camera shocked the suspect with a taser and snatched the crying child from Leohner’s arms.
“It’s okay!” The deputy said while trying to comfort the crying toddler.
Despite being shocked, Leohner continued trying to escape the deputies, crawling under a truck and running away.
“Stop, dude!” shouted the deputy holding the 1-year-old.
All the while, the child continued to cry “Dada” as deputies chased Leohner down, shocking him again and holding him down. The video showed the suspect continuing to shout at the deputies to stop as they told him to put his hands behind his back — even using a K9 to force him to comply as it bit his leg, drawing blood.
Eventually, the deputies managed to handcuff Leohner. The sheriff’s office said paramedics treated Loehner’s injuries from the K9.
“Here is a case of a domestic situation turning violent, putting a 1-year-old child and innocent drivers in danger,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Deputies were confronted with a very chaotic situation and a very combative individual that was putting his child at risk by using the child as a shield. Our deputies did everything they could to quickly rescue this child safely from a madman and apprehend the suspect.”
Staly said the child was unharmed and returned to his mother.
Leohner was charged with kidnapping, using a minor as a shield, resisting with violence, child neglect, fleeing and eluding, and reckless driving. He was taken to AdventHealth for further treatment before he was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.