A night out for one Florida sergeant went from a few drinks to a pair of felony charges in about the time it takes to order a second round. Jason Stickels, a 44-year-old Volusia County Sheriff’s Office sergeant, was arrested Monday after surveillance video showed him confronting and then physically attacking a 71-year-old woman and her 77-year-old husband at Merk’s Bar & Grill in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
The incident unfolded around 4:20 p.m., which is an hour of the day most people associate with early dinner reservations, not chokeholds. According to witnesses and the video the sheriff’s office later released, Stickels approached the couple while off-duty and visibly intoxicated, leaned in uninvited toward the woman, and created what officials called “unwanted contact.” When her husband stood up to intervene, Stickels turned his attention, and apparently his hands, on him instead.
What happened next is the part of the story that’s made the rounds online. A bystander at the bar stepped in, wrapped Stickels up, and took him to the ground before police arrived. No injuries were reported, which is about the only lucky break in this whole ordeal. Stickels was arrested by the New Smyrna Beach Police Department and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail, facing two counts of felony battery on a person 65 years of age or older.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood didn’t hold back when addressing the incident publicly, and honestly, we don’t blame him. He’s since placed Stickels on administrative leave and confirmed the sergeant surrendered his law enforcement equipment, with discipline that could include termination still pending.
A Two-Minute Career Killer
Sheriff Chitwood’s public response to the arrest was about as blunt as it gets. He summed up the entire situation as a lesson in how to throw away a law enforcement career in two minutes flat, pointing out that Stickels was stumbling drunk and harassing people who were simply trying to enjoy their afternoon. He apologized on Stickels’ behalf, referring to him as a soon-to-be former sergeant, and confirmed the arrest happened the same night.
Chitwood didn’t stop at criticizing his own employee either. He publicly offered to buy the victimized couple lunch at Merk’s and extended an invitation to the bystander who intervened, praising the takedown. It’s not every day a sheriff compliments a citizen’s wrestling technique in an official statement, but here we are.
Not Stickels’ First Rodeo
This isn’t the first time Stickels has landed in hot water during his time with the department. He’s been with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office since 2004, and his history includes a 2016 incident where he wrongly accused a postal worker of theft, a mistake that reportedly cost the department an $80,000 settlement.
In 2018, he served a 15-day unpaid suspension for ignoring an order to stop pursuing a carjacking suspect.
What Happens Now
Stickels posted his $10,000 bond and was released a few hours after being booked. He remains on administrative leave while the department decides his fate, and given the sheriff’s own comments, it’s hard to imagine this ends with a stern talking-to.
Whether the courts see it the same way as the internet already has remains to be seen.