An off-duty member of law enforcement was taken into custody for a bar altercation in Central Florida.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office sergeant was arrested on felony violence charges after being intoxicated at a New Smyrna Beach club in Central Florida.
The New Smyrna Beach Police Department arrested Jason Stickels, 44, after officers responded to a report of a fight at Merk’s Bar & Grill at 4:20 p.m. According to police, witnesses said that Stickels initiated and made unwelcome contact with a couple seated near the bar.
According to witnesses and camera footage from the incident, Stickels first attacked a 71-year-old woman seated at a table, then battered her 77-year-old husband when he interfered. Stickels was swiftly apprehended by a witness and taken to the ground. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office reported no injuries.
Stickels was charged with two counts of felony violence on a person aged 65 or older. He was promptly placed on administrative leave and relinquished his law enforcement equipment, pending final penalty, including termination. He has been employed by the Sheriff’s Office since 2004.
“How to ruin your law enforcement career in two minutes. Off duty, staggering intoxicated and pestering people who are simply trying to enjoy their afternoon. “I apologize for this soon-to-be former Volusia Sheriff’s Office sergeant’s idiotic behavior,” Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood wrote following the bar incident.
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