NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — The New Smyrna Beach Police Department released body camera footage showing the moment a former Volusia Sheriff’s Office sergeant was arrested for a bar fight.
New Smyrna Beach Police said the former sergeant battered a couple in their 70s at Merk’s Bar and Grill yesterday afternoon.
The video shows officers putting handcuffs on now-former Volusia Sheriff’s Sergeant Jason Stickels.
Police said the 44-year-old 24 year veteran of the sheriff’s office battered a husband and wife, both in their 70’s, before a bar patron stepped in to help.
The situation was caught on surveillance cameras.
“It’s thoroughly disgusting, it’s sickening and does not represent what this organization stands for a little bit. That’s a black eye for everyone in this place,” said Sheriff Chitwood.
Chitwood said after seeing the video, he planned to fire stickles but he ended up resigning and checking himself into rehab.
“I know as a person, I want him to get help because he clearly needs help and he’s no longer going to be a member of law enforcement, there’s no way he will be hirable anywhere else,” said Chitwood.
No one was injured in the fight and the sheriff has already publicly apologized to the couple and the bar goer who took stickles to the ground. But he said that won’t be enough for everyone.
“It’s not just here that saw that video, it went worldwide. I have not gone near my emails yet because the number is crazy. There will be things together that I won’t be able to repeat on television because anyone that hates law enforcement, they’ll be in there,” said Chitwood.
Stickels was charged with 2 counts of felony battery on a person older than 65 years.
He was suspended from the sheriff’s office in 2018 for not stopping a chase after being ordered to.
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