Man charged with criminal transmission of HIV after allegedly spitting on FF-medic
Police say the man repeatedly stated that he had HIV during the incident and spat “brownish-red” saliva onto the firefighter-paramedic’s arm.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A Daytona Beach man positive with HIV was accused of passing on the virus by spitting on a South Daytona firefighter-paramedic, police said.
JR, 41, who was being investigated in a domestic violence case on Tuesday, was charged with criminal transmission of HIV, battery on a firefighter by way of spitting, domestic violence battery, resisting arrest without violence, fleeing and attempting to elude police, giving a false name, unlawful possession of molly/ecstasy, possession of drug paraphernalia, and grand theft.
R. was being held in the Volusia County Branch Jail on Wednesday without bail.
South Daytona police were called to a domestic disturbance at a South Palmetto Avenue home where R’s girlfriend reported being battered. R then fled on a bicycle, police said.
An officer spotted R and ordered him to stop but he pedaled faster. The officer exited his patrol car and ran after R, a report states.
R rode through a busy intersection at Ridgewood Avenue and Beville Road but was caught shortly after. Police said they found the drug molly on him, and the suspect gave a false name.
R then told officers he was HIV positive and made death threats against the officer’s family, the report states.
The suspect then became unresponsive and fire paramedics were called in to help. When the paramedic tried to check R’s vitals, he became irate and spat on the firefighter-paramedic’s arm, police said.
The firefighter-paramedic had brownish-red spit on his left forearm, a report details, and even after a “spit hood” was placed over his head, R continued to forcefully spit, sending saliva mist through the hood, police said.
After spitting on the first-responder, R reiterated that he had HIV, telling the paramedic “and yeah use them universal precautions, (expletive),” a report notes.
A doctor at Halifax Health Medical Center confirmed that R is HIV positive based on previous medical visits, police said.
