A noncompliant suspect was recently taken down using a sponge round at a Central Florida motel.
Volusia County deputies fired a sponge round to successfully take a man into custody wanted in connection to an aggravated assault case at the DeLand Motel after the suspect ignored numerous commands to exit a unit.
Deputies responded to the motel, located on N. Woodland Boulevard, around 8:12pm where they made PA announcements for 33-year-old Victor X. Soto to come out of one of the units. With Soto failing to comply, deputies executed a search warrant in the room Soto was in.
According to law enforcement, deputies entered the room and hit Soto with a less-lethal round due to his incompliance, and he was quickly secured in handcuffs.
It was the first time deputies used new 40mm sponge rounds that deputies were recently trained on and equipped with.
Soto was treated at AdventHealth DeLand and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on VSO charges of aggravated assault (deadly weapon), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of cocaine and obstruct officer without violence.
The DeLand Police Department also charged Soto with aggravated assault (deadly weapon) in connection to a separate incident where he pistol-whipped a man.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office posted video on Facebook (Warning: strong language and intense footage).
