Equus Resident To Spend More Than Year In Jail.
BOYNTON BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Boynton Beach man who lives in the Equus community will spend fourteen months in jail following his arrest and conviction on fentanyl possession and battery on a law enforcement officer.
According to court records and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Philip Dylan Russo, 26, was first arrested back in December in his home on Equus Circle. The encounter began when deputies responded to the residence for the third time that day regarding reports that Russo was attempting to harm himself by overdosing on fentanyl.
Invited into the home by another family member, a deputy saw Russo emerge from a bathroom exhaling a large plume of smoke from a pipe. Recognizing the potential danger from fentanyl exposure based on numerous prior service calls for overdoses at the address, deputies moved to take Russo into protective custody. Russo initially complied with commands but then resisted and appeared to hide an object in his shoe, prompting officers to handcuff him and move him outside.
Once outside, Russo became increasingly combative. While conducting a search, a deputy discovered a small, bluish pill capsule containing a powder substance in Russo’s right sock. According to the report, Russo then lunged forward in an attempt to put the capsule in his mouth and swallow it. The deputy managed to secure the pill, believed to be fentanyl, by wrapping it in his latex gloves.
Following the discovery of the pill, Russo allegedly became more aggressive. Police say he began spitting at the deputies. A “spit hood” was placed on him, but he continued to physically resist, kicking his legs backward and striking the deputies. After being transported to Wellington Regional Hospital for medical clearance, Russo allegedly spat again at a deputy. The spitting attacks continued, with Russo spitting on the deputy a second time and later spitting directly into the arresting officer’s face, with saliva entering the officer’s eyes and mouth.
The alleged attacks resulted in the charge of five counts of battery on a law enforcement officer. After receiving medical clearance from the hospital, Russo was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail for booking.
Russo was found guilty on Friday of Fentanyl Possession and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer. He was rebooked into the Palm Beach County to serve slightly more than a year.
