A 33-year-old man is facing charges including domestic battery by strangulation after Hillsborough County deputies say he attacked one victim, threatened a second, and then tried to disappear into a dumpster near a Tampa apartment complex. The confrontation unfolded Monday on the 8700 block of Springtree Drive, and aviation and K9 deputies later pulled Willie Albury out of hiding near an apartment building.
According to a post from Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister
, deputies responded to a 911 call on Monday after Albury had physically attacked a victim. The post says he then threatened a second person who tried to step in and intervene, before fleeing the scene.
Deputies did not let him get far, per the account. Aviation deputies picked up Albury from above and tracked his movements as he tried to put distance between himself and the scene.
A Dumpster Standoff Ends in Arrest
Rather than surrender, Albury hid inside a dumpster, the sheriff's post states. Aviation and K9 deputies ultimately located him there, near an apartment building, and he was taken into custody.
Chronister capped off the post with a pointed line aimed at the outcome: “A dumpster wasn’t enough to hide from #teamHCSO.” The post identifies charges Albury faces as domestic battery by strangulation and resisting an officer without violence. The sheriff's office post does not address where the case stands now, including any plea or court outcome.
What the Strangulation Charge Covers
Florida's domestic battery by strangulation statute, as codified in the 2021 Florida Statutes, describes the offense as knowingly and intentionally impeding a family or household member's or dating partner's normal breathing or blood circulation against that person's will, in a way that creates a risk of or causes great bodily harm, by applying pressure to the throat or neck or blocking the nose or mouth. That statutory text defines the charge in general terms and does not establish what specifically happened in this case.
The resisting-an-officer-without-violence charge traces to a separate statute. The 2006 Florida statute addresses resisting, obstructing or opposing an officer.
Support Resources
The sheriff's post also pointed to The Spring of Tampa Bay, which operates a 24/7 hotline at 813-247-SAFE (7233) for anyone affected by domestic violence.
