Tremaine Elton Hollis, 49, faces felony charges after deputies alleged he possessed cocaine during a traffic stop and later fought efforts to draw his blood at a hospital, where investigators say he threw a used needle toward a nurse. A deputy was also allegedly struck by a needle cap and a medical tray.
According to CBS12, deputies stopped Hollis on Sept. 17 at about 2:19 p.m. after he allegedly ran a stop sign while riding an e-bike near South Dixie Highway and 10th Avenue South. The allegations are based on an arrest affidavit cited in the station's report.
Deputy Says Hollis Chewed Substance, Ignored Orders
The affidavit says Hollis reached into his pocket during the stop and began chewing a white, powder-like substance. A deputy allegedly saw material coming from Hollis' mouth and said he refused commands to spit it out. Deputies said they could not determine how much, if any, of the substance he swallowed.
Deputies recovered two suspected crack-cocaine rocks weighing about 0.1 grams. The rocks later tested positive for cocaine, according to the station's report.
Needle Thrown at Nurse During Medical Clearance
At JFK South Hospital, where Hollis was taken for medical clearance, the affidavit says he pulled away as a nurse tried to draw his blood. Investigators allege he then grabbed a blood-covered needle and threw it toward the nurse. She told investigators she feared he was trying to strike her with it; the needle missed her, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also alleges that Hollis threw a needle cap at a deputy, hitting the deputy's ballistic vest, and threw a medical tray that struck the deputy in the back.
Charges and Prior Encounters
Hollis was charged with cocaine possession, evidence tampering, resisting an officer without violence, aggravated assault on specified personnel and two counts of battery on specified personnel. The affidavit also describes earlier encounters between deputies and Hollis involving suspected narcotics and alleged efforts to ingest or conceal evidence.
Separately, third-party arrest-record listings show a Palm Beach County arrest for Hollis dated Aug. 12, 2026, citing a charge described as possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver, along with evidence tampering and resisting an officer without violence, according to a page on palmbeachfl.mugshots.zone, which lists a $1,000 bond tied to the resisting charge. A separate listing on recentlybooked.com also shows the same controlled-substance, evidence-tampering and resisting charges from that date. It is not established whether that August arrest is connected to or separate from the Sept. 17 incident described above.
What the broader data shows
The available statewide data does not establish how cocaine-related overdose deaths have changed specifically in Palm Beach County or over time. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Medical Examiners Commission 2024 Drug Report, toxicology detected drugs in 12,687 of the 31,604 deaths investigated by Florida medical examiners. The report cautions that detecting a drug is not the same as determining that it caused a death. Workplace violence is also a broader concern in health care, though national survey results do not establish a connection to the alleged Lake Worth Beach incident. National Nurses United reported that 84.8% of 1,267 registered nurses surveyed in 28 states and Washington, D.C., for its 2025–26 report experienced at least one type of workplace violence in the previous year.
