Recently released police bodycam footage shows the intense moment when a tattooed Powerball winner kicked a police officer in the face, just a day after winning a $167.3 million jackpot.
James Farthing, age 50, from Georgetown, Kentucky, was taken into custody on April 29, 2025, at a resort in St. Pete Beach. This followed a heated late-night altercation where he was subdued by several officers and tasered after kicking a cop.
Farthing, who claimed the jackpot alongside his mother, was celebrating the victory with his girlfriend, Jacqueline Fightmaster, 42, at TradeWins Island Grand Resort that evening.
Officers from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the resort bar at around 11.10pm after reports emerged of a brawl involving Farthing and another guest.
The already tense situation quickly escalated as Farthing tried to kick the unnamed man in the face, only to strike a deputy.
The clip showed a man with a blue shirt laying on the carpeted floor of the resort as a cop restrained him.
But as he did so, Farthing kicked his foot into the cops face as his yellow neon-colored sneakers were seen flying in the air.
‘Are you kidding me?,’ the cop screamed as two others immediately grabbed him and pushed him toward the wall.
James Farthing, 50, is seen in newly released police bodycam footage during his wild arrest in April after he kicked a cop in the face
Farthing is seen kicking the officer with his neon yellow shoe in the Florida resort
The officer who was assaulted confirmed the incident with fellow deputies before attending to Farthing again while leaving the other individual on the ground.
The cop pointed a taser at the shirtless man as he looked into the bright light.
‘Put your hands behind your back right now,’ the cop demanded as Farthing stayed silent.
The officer then pushed him against the wall, leaving Farthing to stumble before he tried to make a run for it.
The cop then hit him with the taser while several others tackled him as he yelled.
‘Who else?,’ an officer asked his partner. ‘The female,’ they responded, appearing to refer to Fightmaster, who was also arrested.
A woman was heard shouting in the lobby of the resort as Farthing apologized.
He told the deputy: ‘I’m sorry!’ but the cop wanted nothing to do with him as he replied: ‘Save your f***ing sorries for later!’
Authorities said Farthing was intoxicated, uncooperative and aggressive, ultimately lashing out violently at law enforcement.
Farthing, who won the jackpot with his mother, was celebrating the win with his girlfriend, Jacqueline Fightmaster, 42, at TradeWins Island Grand Resort that night.
Farthing was charged with resisting an officer without violence, battery on a law enforcement officer and parole violation. His girlfriend, Fightmaster, was charged with disorderly intoxication
The deputy was reported to have swelling and redness on the right side of his face under his eye, according to the affidavit obtained by Daily Mail.
He was charged with resisting an officer without violence, battery on a law enforcement officer and parole violation.
Farthing’s parole violation stems from theft and drug offenses. He was on parole through August 2025 for those charges, per WKYT.
His court records include convictions of tampering with evidence, engaging in organized crime, drug charges, receiving stolen property and theft by unlawful taking.
He pleaded not guilty to the alleged crimes and had a pretrial hearing Monday, according to court records.
The $2 ticket was purchased at a Clark’s Pump-N-Shop in Georgetown, where the pair was faced with the choice of receiving 30 annual payments or take the cash option of $77.3 million
His girlfriend was charged with disorderly intoxication and released.
Witnesses described her as verbally combative during the encounter.
‘[Fightmaster] appeared very intoxicated and was yelling, screaming and making incoherent statements,’ the affidavit alleged.
The early morning arrest came on the heels of a highly publicized Powerball win that saw Farthing and his mother, Linda Grizzle, claim one of the largest jackpots in Kentucky history.
The $2 ticket was purchased at a Clark’s Pump-N-Shop in Georgetown, where the pair was faced with the choice of receiving 30 annual payments or taking the cash option of $77.3 million.
Grizzle told reporters earlier in the week that she had called her son immediately upon realizing they held the winning numbers.
‘It’s going to be a good Mother’s Day,’ she said. ‘This is going to pay off my debt.’
