Lake County

Lake County man brutally attacks man at Wawa, later attempts to bite officer, police say

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A Lake County man is behind bars after he brutally attacked someone at a Wawa and later attempted to bite an officer, Leesburg police said.

Officials said the attack was brutal and bloody, and they believe the suspect attacked for no reason.

“There’s a fight, someone has a gun. A guy was beating the (expletive) out of somebody,” a 911 caller said.

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911 calls came pouring into dispatch March 1 regarding a fight at a Wawa on W North Boulevard.

“We just had a customer attack another customer. (He) kicked him in the head. He’s bleeding on the floor,” another caller said.

According to a report, police found “a large amount of blood on the flood” once they were inside the building.

Officers said a man was holding Omilson Shirley at gunpoint.

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Police ordered the man to put down the weapon and began investigating.

Officers said they learned Shirley had trespassed at the store and had returned several times.

The victim told officers that Shirley walked into the store and, for no reason, began striking him in the head.

Once the victim fell to the ground, witnesses said, Shirley began kicking the man in the head and several customers told him to stop.

The good Samaritan told police he had the gun and utilized it to stop the attack.

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The victim was rushed to a hospital and Shirley was taken into custody.

Police said Shirley later went after one of the officers and pushed him into a nearby wall.

According to a report, “Omilson began spitting toward the officers and attempted to bite” one of them.

Police said Shirley is facing several charges, including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.

Myrt Price

Myrt Price, WFTV.com

Myrt Price joined the eyewitness news team as a general assignment reporter in October of 2012.

Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.

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