Battery charge dropped after controversial Daytona Beach arrest caught on bodycam
By: -----
Daytona Beach, FL - A battery charge has been dropped against a tourist who was arrested in Daytona Beach last month, according to documents filed in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court.
The State Attorney’s Office said it has dropped the charge of battery on a law enforcement officer against David Anderson, 27, of Tennessee, determining that the arrest itself was sufficient punishment. An open container charge remains pending.
Body camera video of Anderson's March 12 arrest raised concerns from Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young. The officer associated with the arrest had been reassigned to administrative duties and an investigation was opened within days of Anderson's arrest.
In a prepared and edited video statement posted on the Daytona Beach Police Department's a day after Anderson's arrest, Chief Young called the video "concerning."
"After review of the body camera footage as well as the video currently being shared online, I will acknowledge what many people have already said, the clip circulating online is concerning," he said.
The video showed the detainment and arrest of Anderson, who was stopped for allegedly drinking out of a tequila bottle, a violation of the city's open container ordinance. The encounter then escalated with the man detained on the ground, handcuffed, Tased, and repeatedly punched in the face, according to the video and the arrest report.
Screengrab of video statement from Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young. Credit: Daytona Beach Police Department
According to the arrest report, police said Anderson, who was visiting Daytona Beach from Tennessee, was asked to get rid of the alcohol, who told the officer to dump it out.
Police said in the report that Anderson threw the cork at the officer, which prompted the arrest. He was then handcuffed and Tased for allegedly resisting arrest, the report states.