A 45-year-old Dundee man wanted on an active warrant clenched his fists and moved toward a Polk County deputy during a traffic stop, then shouted that he would rather die than return to jail, according to authorities. Robert Greer III was taken into custody near the intersection of Woodland Drive and Chicago Way just after 4 p.m. last Wednesday, following a confrontation that ended only after a deputy drew a Taser.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, deputies initiated the traffic stop after spotting Greer driving a brown 2011 Scion. As reported by the Tampa Free Press, Greer stepped out of his car and approached a deputy with clenched fists before resisting arrest. He reportedly shouted, “Y'all ************ are gonna learn today! I'll die before I go back to jail!” during the struggle.
Taser Drawn, No Shots Fired
The confrontation ended when a deputy drew a Taser, and Greer halted his resistance once the weapon was pulled — the device was not actually fired during the encounter, per the same account. Deputies then secured Greer without injury and transported him to the local jail facility.
Greer had an active warrant for failure to appear tied to prior battery charges, along with a separate warrant for failing to report for a scheduled weekend work release. The sheriff's office runs an Inmate Work Program that lets eligible non-violent offenders satisfy court-ordered weekend sentences through public facility maintenance and roadway cleanup, and it appears Greer failed to show up for his assigned shift.
New Charges Stack Onto Existing Warrants
Beyond being booked on the outstanding warrant, Greer now faces new charges for resisting an officer and for driving with a suspended or revoked license, the sheriff's report notes. Under Florida Statute 843.02, resisting an officer without violence is a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine. Driving on a suspended license is typically charged as a second-degree misdemeanor under Florida Statute 322.34, though penalties escalate for repeat offenders, potentially reaching a third-degree felony.
The willful failure-to-appear warrant that triggered Wednesday's stop stems from Florida Statute 843.15, which allows courts to issue a bench warrant, or capias, often without bond, once a defendant misses a required court date. Greer's criminal history includes prior charges for battery, illegal narcotics, aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, DUI, and weapons violations, according to the sheriff's office.
Local Court Rules Determine His Next Hearing
Because Greer was arrested on new criminal charges in addition to his work-release warrant, he qualifies for a standard First Appearance hearing under Tenth Judicial Circuit rules. Administrative Order 2-56.7 otherwise excludes defendants arrested solely on a work-release capias from that 24-hour hearing requirement, but the new resisting and suspended-license charges change his footing in court.
It remains unclear which of the sheriff's two detention facilities, the Central County Jail in Bartow or the South County Jail in Frostproof, is currently holding Greer. It's also not yet known whether prosecutors will move to revoke bond on his underlying battery case in light of the new arrest.
A Pattern of Arrests Around Dundee
The Polk County Sheriff's Office serves as the contracted police force for Dundee, a town of roughly 5,863 residents, alongside five other municipalities and the county's unincorporated areas. The agency has reported that overall crime in its jurisdiction fell 24.6 percent during the first half of 2025 compared to the year before, with violent crime down 21.9 percent, even as Dundee has repeatedly appeared in local arrest news. Hoodline previously reported on a Dundee man charged with murder after a fentanyl deal, and on a runaway teen found hiding in a Dundee sex offender's closet during a separate deputy operation.
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