Inmate Robert Bridges attempts to take Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tracey Wallace. Do you think the sergeant could put her water bottle down?
On July 30, 2013, shortly after 9 am, Hillsborough County inmate Robert Bridges was in-custody sitting inside Circuit Court Judge Martha Cook’s courtroom waiting for his case to be called on unrelated felony charges. Bridges was secured with leg shackles as well as handcuffed in front with an attached waist chain.
HCSO Sgt Tracey Wallace, an 18 year veteran along with two Hillsborough County deputies (bailiffs) were in the courtroom in full uniform providing courtroom security when Robert Bridges lunged forward and with both hands grabbed Sgt. Tracy Wallace’s holstered firearm.
Sgt Wallace immediately took defensive action and was able to prevent Bridges from pulling her firearm from her holster. Two other deputies assigned to the courtroom, immediately assisted Sgt Wallace and were able to restrain and remove Bridges from the courtroom. Bridges was taken to a holding cell where he awaited until the additional charges listed above were added. Fortunately no one was injured in this incident.
While the sheriff’s office complemented Wallace’s defensive action, it does seem a little odd that she holds on to her water bottle and just stares at the inmate from a safe distance of about six feet away.
Hillsborough County Florida is on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The largest city and county seat is Tampa, Florida. Census (2010) 1,229,226.
