LAKELAND, Fla. -- A video showing what appears to be a Polk County deputy punching a handcuffed suspect two times before placing him inside the back of a marked deputy cruiser is making rounds on social media.

The graphic video shows a man wearing a neon green t-shirt, later identified as 20-year-old Fernando Jimenez, being taken into custody by two Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies.

As one of the deputies holds Jimenez to the back of the cruiser, the second deputy appears to have punched Jimenez twice before placing him inside.

One of the punches appears to have hit Jimenez in the head.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the deputy punched Jimenez "whenever he was trying to get him under control."

Sheriff Judd said Jimenez spat on the deputy during the incident. Jimenez was later charged with resisting with violence and without violence, and battery for spitting on deputy.

"In this day of age of COVID-19, HIV, hepatitis; how would you respond if somebody spit in your face today in the middle of this pandemic?" Sheriff Judd said.

↓ WATCH VIDEO. WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE ↓

An eight-minute video, sent by Facebook user Unique Occena, captures what appears to be two separate fights prior to the arrest.

When the Polk County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene on Chestnut Road in Lakeland, one of the deputies can be seen speaking with the people who stayed at the scene.

A short time later, Jimenez walked over to an unmarked car and two deputies tried to take him into custody.

One of the deputies shoved Jimenez into the back of the unmarked car and a second deputy came in and placed Jimenez in handcuffs.

After the deputies placed Jimenez in handcuffs, he is walked to another marked cruiser and held near the trunk as a deputy worked to open the back door.

That's when it appears the deputy punched the suspect twice.

Sheriff Judd said he will do "a complete and thorough investigation on the incident."

He said the cell phone videos from the scene will help with the investigation as some people were not arrested and deputies may go back if there are evidence of others committing crimes.

Officials have not identified the two deputies involved in the incident. Sheriff Judd said both deputies will be tested for coronavirus.

This article was written by

WFTS.

< /p>

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A generous customer left a $10,000 tip for the staff of a Florida restaurant last week and the workers hope to pay it forward.

The Wahoo Seafood Grill in Gainesville says the guest asked the 10-person restaurant staff to come to the dining area, where he thanked them for showing up and working hard.

The workers were shocked when the patron told them that he was giving them each $1,000, according to the restaurant.

The owner of the establishment, Shawn Shepherd, says he’s not usually an emotional guy, but the act of kindness really touched him, and he was blown away by the man’s generosity.

“The last year and a half hasn’t been easy on this industry. We’re hurting and we’re exhausted, but this incredible act of kindness has restored our faith in humanity,” said Shepherd in a statement on Facebook.

The restaurant says its workers plan to pay the kindness forward in their own ways.

“Even the smallest acts of kindness can have a giant ripple effect,” wrote the restaurant.

Wahoo Seafood Grill says it’s sharing the news of the big tip with the hopes that others feel inspired to do something nice for someone else.

“Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people,” they wrote.

TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa man is recovering after an alligator attacked him during a dive along the Myakka River.

With a bandage wrapped around his head, Jeffrey Heim replayed the tense moments on Monday, the same day he was discharged from Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

“I thought I got hit by a propeller; it hit me so fast,” Heim said. “It felt like a boat was going 50 mph.”

Heim said he encountered the alligator while looking for shark teeth in Venice. It all happened within seconds of entering the water

WFTS

The alligator bit Heim on his head and hand, resulting in a skull fracture and 34 staples.

“Because of the bite force on those animals, he could have got me anywhere else and I would have died,” he said.

Heim is an advocate for marine life. The Tampa personal trainer hopes to one day turn his passion project — making shark teeth into jewelry with his company, shrkco — into a full-time profession.

With years of diving experience across Florida, Heim admits he should have known better.

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, the mating season for alligators is in May and June, a time when they are more active and aggressive.

WFTS

MORE: Alligator mating season is here — this is what you need to know

“Her environment, protecting her family,” Heim said. “That’s what those animals are bred to do, and I learned that the hard way. I’m lucky it wasn’t much worse.”

Heim calls it an act of God that he wasn’t killed on Sunday and remains thankful his recovery will only take a few weeks.

“I’ve never cried so much in my life,” Heim said. “And not from the pain, just from the realization of what I’ve gone through and how I was literally an inch away from death.”

WFTS

This story was originally published by Ryan Smith on Scripps station WFTS in Tampa, Florida.