Man who attacked Volusia bailiff faces new charge

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The man accused of attacking a Volusia County bailiff was back in court Friday for his first appearance on the charges.

Gregory Gentle, 29, was waiting to go in front of a judge on Thursday at the Justice Center for a previous charge of resisting police with violence. That's when witnesses said he grabbed Deputy Roger Hubbell, a courtroom bailiff, and punched him in the face.  The two tussled and fell to the floor. Hubbell was left with a broken thumb, cut lip and several other abrasions.

According to a police report from Thursday’s incident, Gentle told the bailiff, “Y’all show up to my house and do it to me, so I did it to you.’’

Friday, Gentle limped back into court to face a new charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.

WFTV’s Blaine Tolison was there and spoke to Gentle’s mother, who did not want to be identified.

"I guess he just, he just snapped. He just snapped and I don't know why," she said.

She said her son suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. He didn’t say a word as he stood before the judge, and then refused to leave the room when asked. He remained in jail Friday.

"He's got a lot on his mind. I don't know. I think he was upset and chemically imbalanced," Gentle’s mother said.

WFTV