A 36-year-old man, Stephen Hicks, is facing battery charges following an altercation with a teenager at Sunshine Park. The incident, captured in a video obtained by First Coast News, sheds light on the events that unfolded.
In Jacksonville Beach, Florida, footage reveals an off-duty officer appearing to grab a teenager by the shoulder, forcibly removing him from an e-bike and throwing him to the ground at Sunshine Park on Saturday.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reported that Hicks, who has served with them for five years, is now facing a misdemeanor battery charge due to the incident.
After voluntarily surrendering to the Sheriff’s Office Integrity Unit, Hicks was released on bond. He has been reassigned while the investigation is underway.
Authorities were called to the park that afternoon following complaints about teenagers riding e-bikes in a skate park area, which is clearly marked with signs banning motorized bikes and scooters.
According to investigators, one teen informed Jacksonville Beach police that a man had yanked him off his bike and slammed him onto the ground, resulting in minor injuries.
Witnesses said Hicks identified himself as an off-duty officer, showed his badge and provided his name and badge number before leaving the scene.
Addie Martin, 13, who rides her e-bike at the park regularly, says she was there Saturday and called the incident frightening.
“At the end of the day, kids are just kids and we’re just having a good time,” Martin said.
The video shows Hicks confronting the teen behind the skate park.
“It makes you scared about what could happen to my friends or even me,” Martin said.
Parents who frequent the park acknowledged safety concerns surrounding the e-bikes, but said Hicks’ actions went too far.
Allen Warkentin called e-bikes “an epidemic” at the park.
“These are fast machines,” Warkentin said. “You’ve got little 3, 4-year-olds out here in their little scooters scooting around. The last thing they need to do is get mowed over by a kid bigger than them.”
Still, Warkentin and others said the officer crossed a line.
“The actions of the officer, that’s, no. That’s too much,” he said.
Hicks was booked into Duval County Jail. JSO confirmed his most recent assignment was with the Hazardous Devices Unit.
