"He's biting him:" Audio of chaotic moments as police subdue face-biting suspect
TEQUESTA, Fla. — Police radio recordings from the night a 19-year-old Florida man allegedly attacked a couple, killing them, before biting the face of one of his victims, reveals the chaos officers found when they got to the scene, reports CBS Miami.
DISPATCH: “Can fire rescue go in?”
DEPUTY: “No sir. I’ve got this guy wrapped around him and he’s biting him.”
When deputies first arrived, they said Austin Harrouff was clinging to John Stevens on the floor of the garage. Deputies said Harrouff was biting Stevens’ face and stomach after stabbing Stevens and his wife Michelle, according to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
“It appeared to one of our deputies that it was like a mixed martial arts, an MMA hold, he was just wrapped around him they were body to body trying to pull them away, pry him off,” said Snyder.
He said Harrouff was wrapped around the victim tight enough that his deputies could not use deadly force to pull him off – it took Tasers, deputies and a dog to finally get Harrouff under control.
“We used a lot of force, up to kicking the suspect in the head. He was so intertwined with the victim they were afraid a projectile would go through him and into the victim. They didn’t contemplate using deadly force,” Snyder said.
Officials still have not spoken to Harrouff, who is heavily sedated, after suffering intestinal damage. Police believe he may have drank chemicals found in the garage where the victims were attacked.
Investigators told CBS affiliate WPEC that they are not sure if Harrouff drank the chemicals with the intention of harming himself.
Harrouff remains in critical condition at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach. Investigators are waiting for him to become more alert so they can question him.
After he reportedly killed the couple, Harrouff told deputies, “Test me. You won’t find any drugs.”
He tested negative for common street drugs like cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine. The results of more extensive testing to determine whether he may have ingested synthetic drugs like bath salts or flakka are still pending.
Autopsy results show Michelle Stevens died from blunt force trauma injuries and John Stevens died from multiple injuries.
Harrouff will be charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the couple’s death, as well as attempted first-degree murder for the stabbing of the couple’s neighbor, Jeff Fisher, who suffered multiple wounds when he tried to intervene before calling 911.