Volusia County sheriff calls for woman who accused deputy of inappropriate touching to be charged

DELTONA, Fla. — The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has filed a charging affidavit accusing a Deltona woman of making false claims of misconduct against a deputy.

The woman, identified by Sheriff Mike Chitwood as Tammy Stuck, made the claims during the public forum portion of Monday’s Deltona City Commission meeting.

Chitwood said a man used his wife to file a false complaint in order to get metal detectors removed from City Hall.

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Stuck claimed a deputy inappropriately toucher her when her metal brace set off the metal detector. Her husband has been a critic at times of the city and the Sheriff’s Office.

But the sheriff said the deputy was just doing his job.

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“She besmirched that deputy’s character,” Chitwood said. “She out-and-out lied.”

During her comments, Stuck accuses the deputy of touching her inappropriately as she went through the metal detector at a previous commission meeting. She then proceeds to call for the metal detectors to be removed.

A man who identified himself as Stuck’s husband also stood up to forcefully complain to the commission members about the deputy’s actions.

Along with the statement calling for Stuck to be charged, the sheriff’s office released surveillance video showing the encounter between the Stucks and the unidentified deputy.

It shows Stuck set the metal detector off multiple times before recalling that she has a metal brace on her right leg.

The deputy can be seen passing a wand metal detector over the area before using one hand to feel for the brace around Stuck’s knee.

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The man with Stuck immediately responds by angrily telling the deputy to “get your hands off my wife,” as they both continue into the meeting without further incident. The video shows the man confront the deputy again as they leave.

In her comments to the commission, Stuck described the encounter as “traumatic” and “painful.”

The claims led to a discussion in the same meeting between commissioners about clarifying policies and procedures with regard to metal detectors and physical searches.

In his statement, Sheriff Chitwood says, “the clear falsehood at the heart of Mrs. Stuck’s sworn citizen’s complaint was blatant enough that the Sheriff’s Office was more than justified in submitting a charging affidavit for review.”

Chitwood says the State Attorney’s Office will decide whether she’s actually charged.

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Chitwood recommended one count of “making a false official statement” for her claims at Monday’s meeting, describing Stuck’s efforts as a “blatant lie” and “disgusting attempt to ruin a deputy’s career.”

The State Attorney’s Office has not commented on the case.

The Sheriff’s Office said the charge was not retaliation.

Stuck has never been in trouble before, and said she wants to see both male and female deputies staffing the metal detector.

See surveillance video of the encounter, the Stucks’ statements to the City Commission, and the ensuing discussion below:

VIDEO: Deltona woman accuses Volusia deputy of groping her at City Commission meeting The Volusia County Sheriff's Office released surveillance video Wednesday of an encounter that led to a complaint against a deputy. (Charles Frazier, WFTV.com/Volusia County Sheriff's Office)

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