[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 06/15/20]
CLERMONT, Florida — A Clermont man accused of interrupting an outdoor religious service Sunday is in the Lake County Jail facing a dozen charges.
A Clermont Police officer responded to a report of an active physical altercation in the 700 block of East Montrose Street and observed two Clermont Police officers attempting to take Alan Thomas Cheesborough, 34, into custody. Cheesborough, according to an arrest affidavit, was lying on his stomach with his right arm underneath his body, preventing officers from handcuffing him.
Officers commanded him to stop resisting several times before forcibly moving his arm and handcuffing him. Cheesborough then became “verbally combative,” screaming “rape” and complaining he could not breathe, “despite the fact he was lying on his side and placed in a position allowing him to breathe freely,” the affidavit states. An offer was injured while attempting to take Cheesborough into custody, but it was not an “intentional battery,” according to the affidavit. The officer was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
More Clermont Police officers and several Lake County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene and Cheesborough actively resisted being placed in leg restraints and refused to stand on his own; he was then carried to a patrol car with one backseat, but had to be transferred to a vehicle with a full backseat “due to his resistance to sit down,” the affidavit states. Cheesborough’s leg restraints had to be secured to the inside of the vehicle.
While Cheesborough was being transported to the jail, he began making complaints and stated he needed to go to the hospital. The officer asked hm several times why he needed medical attention so he could provide the information to EMS. Cheesborough screamed, “rape” and, “The officers raped me.” The arresting officer told Cheesborough no officers raped him and again asked why he needed EMS. Cheesborough stated he “hurt” from being “jumped’ the day before, the affidavit states.
The officer met EMS on U.S. Highway 27 and Cheesborough was transported to the hospital. He was seen by a doctor who found no injuries or sickness and he was taken to the jail, where he was found with marijuana and a marijuana grinder.
Witnesses told police Cheesborough approached several men, including the pastor giving the service and engaged in a verbal altercation, screaming for them to turn the volume down. Cheesborough attempted to change the volume himself and the pastor reached over to protect the audio equipment. Several more people approached and tried to calm Cheesborough down and turned the music down. Cheesborough reportedly became “increasingly agitated” and pushed the pastor, knocking him over, along with a piano and audio equipment and allegedly punched another man in the eye.
Cheesborough was charged with disturbing a religious ceremony, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, two counts of battery and seven counts of resisting an officer without violence. He was granted ROR (released on own recognizance) for the six of the seven counts of resisting an officer and is being held on $5,500 bond on the rest of the charges.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
