JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An off-duty officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is facing misdemeanor battery charges after an incident at a Jacksonville Beach skate park, where he slammed a child to the ground.
The incident was caught on surveillance video and has sparked public outrage.
Recommended Videos
The veteran officer, Stephen D. Hicks, was seen forcefully pulling a child off an e-bike and taking him to the ground. The video initially made the man appear to be a bystander, but he was later identified as a law enforcement officer.
Shannon Schott, an attorney with Plata Schott Law representing the child’s family, described the incident as “extremely horrifying.”
“As a parent of a child who regularly goes to Sunshine Park, I was just very disturbed that a grown adult would pull a child off an e-bike and slam him to the ground in such a forceful manner,” she said.
Schott is advocating for upgraded charges against Hicks, including felony child abuse.
“We’re really hopeful that the clerk and the state attorney’s office will consider additional charges and consider making sure that this family has all of the protections of Marcy’s law, which is the constitutional right of the family to be protected as victims,” she said.
The attorney called the officer’s actions “unprovoked” and “egregious,” adding that they violated both policy and the child’s rights.
“This was obviously a very scary interaction,” Schott said. “It’s made worse by the fact that the defendant in this case, the assailant, has a position of power and could use that position of power against the victim and his family. They’re in fear, they’re very afraid.”
The incident took place at South Beach skate park, where signs clearly prohibit e-bikes on the grounds. Schott said the situation could have been handled differently and that the family is now considering felony charges against Hicks.
“We’ve officially filed our notice of appearance pursuant to Marcy’s law in the criminal case, which I intend to appear at the hearing that is coming up in February,” Schott said. “We also will file a statement of claim and a notice of representation to Mr. Hicks and to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.”
Hicks’ attorney told News4JAX that his client acted out of fear that someone would be seriously injured by teenagers riding what he called “electric motorcycles” through the park. Schott disagrees with that explanation.
“If he was truly doing the right thing and investigating in his capacity as a law enforcement officer, he would not have left the scene,” she said. “He would have worked with the Jacksonville Beach Police in order to investigate any alleged crimes that occurred. But the reality of the situation is that he was in the wrong.”
Hicks has pleaded not guilty to the charges and bonded out of jail last week. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 17. JSO has administratively reassigned Hicks while its internal investigation continues.