K9 deputy chomped on this felon with a warrant, leading to his latest arrest and charges

By LENNY COHEN

ALTOONA, Fla. (CohenConnect) – A tip about the “possible location of a subject with an active felony warrant for violating probation” led to the wanted man, but the arrest may not have happened if it wasn’t for a sheriff’s K9 named Jebb.

Authorities in Florida said they went looking for Melvin Joseph Risner just after 2 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 26.

The arrest report said somebody in the home told a deputy that Risner was inside.

“Commands were given multiple times from outside the residence to the defendant to surrender and come outside,” the report continued. “The defendant did not comply.

“Deputies then opened the front door to the residence and gave commands for the defendant to come outside and surrender, but the defendant still did not comply.

“Deputies made entry into the residence and located the defendant, who was given commands to come towards deputies.

“The defendant did not comply with commands and was ultimately dog bitten by [a deputy’s] K9 Jebb.

“The defendant was then detained,” and paramedics were called.

They checked Risner’s injuries, which the arrest report did not detail, and authorities took Risner straight to jail. A stop at the hospital was not needed.

That wasn’t all.

“A syringe with a clear-like substance within it was located inside of the residence,” the arrest report said. “Due to not being able to pin who possessed the syringe, it was collected and submitted to evidence for destruction.”

Risner, 41, is no stranger to the Lake County Jail.

Melvin Risner had been arrested before 2020 (clockwise from top left) since he was charged with 2 counts of petit theft-3rd offense in 2021.Photo by(Lake Co. Sheriff’s Office | Fla. Dept. of Corrections)

In 2020 (above photo, clockwise from top left), he spent 23 days behind bars for failure to appear for felony fleeing or attempting to elude and for driving with a suspended license.

The next year, he spent more than three months in jail on two counts of petit theft-3rd or subsequent offense and 2 probation violations: fleeing or eluding and driving with a suspended license.

In June 2022, Risner served four weeks for habitually driving with a suspended license, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a small amount of marijuana, and resisting without violence.

That August, he served six weeks for habitually driving with a suspended license. Plus, his bond was revoked from charges of driving with a suspended license, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a small amount of cannabis, and resisting without violence.

In May 2023, Risner served 17 days for violating probation for driving with a suspended license.

That October, he was jailed six hours for possession of buprenorphine, possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug equipment.

This past April, he was sentenced to three years of probation for possession of methamphetamine and possession of another controlled substance.

This time, Risner was charged with probation violations for possession of fentanyl and possession of methamphetamine, and with resisting without violence.

He has not been released.