Today Dennis Lamar Flint, 52, was sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison for two counts of Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, one count of Resisting an Officer with Violence, one count of Battery to a Police Dog, and one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was designated and sentenced as a Habitual Felony Offender and Prison Releasee Reoffender. Flint’s conviction for the charges came in May following a two day trial in Lee County.
The crime occurred in November 2017 when Lee County Sheriff’s deputies received a call about a reckless driver on Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. While en route, they received another call about a crash involving a similar vehicle to the initial call. When they arrived on scene, deputies found a car in the median with extensive damage but no driver.
A K-9 unit responded and found the defendant in the backyard of a nearby home. The deputies identified themselves as law enforcement and gave multiple orders for Flint to come out but he did not comply. As one of the deputies tried to take him into custody, he kicked him four times in the chest. Deputies used their tasers on the defendant but they appeared to have virtually no effect. The deputies released the K-9 and the dog bit Flint’s leg to pull him out but lost his bite. Flint kicked the dog twice. Deputies were then finally able to secure Flint in handcuffs after a short struggle where another deputy was hit in the arm.
On the way to jail, Flint kept banging his head on the partition in the car between the front and back seat. He had to be pepper sprayed to stop. After arriving at the jail, two small plastic baggies with drugs were found under the rear seat of the patrol car.
The deputies involved suffered minor injuries and made a full recovery. Assistant State Attorney Andrea Ciervo-Canizares handled the case.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
239-533-1125
ssyoen@sao20.org