An off-duty sergeant with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office is facing felony assault charges after surveillance footage shows him drunkenly attacking an elderly couple inside the Merc Bar & Grill in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
The incident, which occurred around 4:20 p.m. on July 6, gained attention when Sheriff Mike Chitwood released surveillance video and issued a public apology via a Facebook reel titled, “How to end your law enforcement career in 2 minutes.”
According to investigatorsJason Stickels, 44, approached a table where a 71-year-old woman and her 77-year-old husband were eating.
Witnesses and surveillance footage showed Stickles making unwanted contact with the woman and attempting to kiss her. When she rejected the advance, investigators said he assaulted her. Her husband came to her rescue, but police said Stickells assaulted him as well.
A citizen who witnessed the confrontation intervened, throwing Stickles to the floor and restraining him until New Smyrna Beach Police Department officers arrived. The couple were not injured, officials said. Surveillance footage from the restaurant captured the encounter and later became part of the evidence supporting the charges.
Sheriff apologizes and announces administrative action
Stickles, who joined the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in 2004 and served for 22 years, was arrested on two counts of felony battery on a person 65 years of age or older. Following his arrest, he was placed on administrative leave, surrendered his law enforcement equipment, and faced discipline up to and including dismissal.
Later reports indicated that he resigned from the agency after the incident. He was released after posting $10,000 bond.
Sheriff Chitwood used the Facebook post to apologize directly to the couple, and offered to buy them another lunch at the Merc Bar & Grill. He also invited the spectator who had blocked Stickles to join him, praising him for refusing to stand by and calling his intervention a “good takedown”.
Facebook comments praise accountability and citizen intervention
The sheriff’s Facebook reel spread across social media, with many commentators focusing less on the arrest and more on the sheriff’s decision to release surveillance video and censure one of his own supervisors without hesitation.
Many wrote that law enforcement agencies often lose public trust when they appear to shield officers from consequences, adding that the public reaction in this case reflected accountability rather than silence.
Others praised the civilian who stepped in to stop the attack, arguing that his intervention prevented the encounter from escalating further. Many commentators also expressed sympathy for the couple who had only gone out for a meal before becoming victims of the attack.
Many users said that the sheriff’s public apology, offer to compensate the victims with a second meal, and bystander acknowledgment showed an effort to directly address the incident, even as many called the episode a stain on the agency’s reputation.
