Man who attacked deputy loses guns for 12 months

RIVERVIEW (FOX 13) - Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Deputy Lance Feinman showed up to court still showing the battle scars of an attack he endured last month.

"I suffered a fractured nose and swelling to my face," said Deputy Feinman.

Deputy Feinman testified during a Risk Protection Hearing, which aims to take guns away from the man who attacked him.

The goal is to protect violent defendants from harming themselves or others.

Feinman told the judge back in May he was responding to a domestic dispute it Riverview at the home of defendant Randy Howard. 

Howard had been arguing with his wife.

Deputy Feinman says he was met with resistance.

"He kept screaming, 'Get the [expletive] out of the house. I didn't let you in the house. You have no right to be in the house,'" said Deputy Feinman.

Deputy Feinman says Howard soon traded words for punches.

"He pushed me back with both his hands. I went back and, before I could catch myself, he struck me with a closed fist on the left side of my face," said Deputy Feinman. "He struck me several times in the face. When I was trying to catch myself he put me in a chokehold. He got the chokehold in real deep and I started to lose my airway."

Deputy Feinman used his taser but it didn't do much good.

Eventually, his back up arrived and Hillsborough Deputy Suraj Montoute attempted to cuff Howard.

"At that point, he stated, 'No, this is my house. I am God. Get out," said Deputy Montoute.

 Howard's wife talked to the judge by phone and tried to give the judge some context. She explained her husband is a veteran of the U.S. Marines who returned from overseas a damaged and wounded soul 10 years ago.

She said his PTSD episodes sometimes drive her and her children out of the home.

After hearing from everyone, Chief Judge Ron Ficarrotta ruled Howard will lose his guns for 12 months.

Once that time is up, Howard could ask for his guns back or law enforcement could ask for an extension.