| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: COOK, JASON 1333 (AR15-13917) did knowingly, actually and intentionally touch or strike OFFICER MATTHEW DUMONT, a LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, against the will of that person while knowing that the said OFFICER was engaged in a lawful performance of HIS legal duties, TO WIT; STRUCK THE VICTIM IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF FACE WITH CLOSED FIST, ATTEMPTED TO GET ON TOP OF THE VICTIM, HE GRABBED THE VICTIMâS NECK with CHOKEHOLD, AND STRUCK HIM SEVERAL TIMES in hIS SIDE, in violation of Florida Statute NUMBER 784.07(2)(B). ON 021715, AT APPROXIMATELY 1436 HOURS, I WAS DISPATCHED TO CYPRESS CREEK DETENTION FACILITY LOCATED AT 2855 WEST WOODLAND RIDGE DRIVE IN LECANTO, IN REFERENCE TO A BATTERY ON SECURITY OFFICER. UPON ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH the CHIEF OF SECURITY, MR AL ARCURI, WHO PROVIDED ME WITH A DISK WHICH CONTAINED VIDEO SURVEILLANCE OF A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION BETWEEN the defendant, MR SIDNEY HARDEN, AND the VICTIM, SECURITY OFFICER MATTHEW DUMONT. ON the SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, I WITNESSED A CLASSROOM OF JUVENILE DETAINEES AT 1333 HOURS. MR HARDEN WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT OF THE OMEGA CLASSROOM AND MR DUMONT WAS STANDING in the DOORWAY BETWEEN the OMEGA CLASSROOM AND the OMEGA DAYROOM. MR HARDEN THEN GETS UP FROM HIS DESK AND BEGINS TO WALK TOWARDS MR DUMONT IN AN aggressive MANNER AND APPEARED TO BE SAYING SOMETHING, HOWEVER THE VIDEO does not have AUDIO. MR HARDEN THEN STRIKES MR DUMONT WITH A CLOSED FIST ON the RIGHT SIDE OF MR DUMONTâS FACE. THE VIDEO THEN SHOWED MR HARDEN HOLD MR DUMONT BY the NECK AND STRIKE HIM AGAIN in hIS RIGHT SIDE. IT DID NOT APPEAR that MR DUMONT STRUCK MR HARDEN DURING this TIME. STAFF MEMBERS THEN INTERVENED and SEPARATED THE VICTIM and the defendant. I SPOKE WITH MR DUMONT VIA TELEPHONE DUE TO THE FACT HE WAS AT CITRUS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR HIS INJURIES. HE STATED THAT MR HARDEN HAD ASKED HIM IF HE HAD TAKEN HIS ââINCENTIVE DAYââ AWAY FROM HIM, and MR DUMONT REPLIED YES, AND that THEY WOULD SPEAK ABOUT IT LATER. AT THAT TIME, MR HARDEN GOT UP AND HIT HIM AND THEY BEGAN TO STRUGGLE UNTIL STAFF ARRIVED and SEPARATED THEM. DEPUTY ARNOLD (1282) TOOK CRIME SCENE TECHNICIAN (CST) PHOTOS OF MR DUMONTâS INJURIES. SEE HIS SUPPLEMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS. I THEN ASKED MR HARDEN WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE STATED THAT HE GOT MAD BECAUSE MR DUMONT TOOK HIS DAY, AND SO HE HIT HIM. MR HARDEN WAS THEN PLACED UNDER ARREST FOR BATTERY ON A SECURITY OFFICER. HE WAS HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK AND PLACED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL CAR. THE defendantâS BOND WAS SET AT $5,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. MR ARCURI WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH COPIES OF STATEMENTS HE HAD GATHERED FOR HIS REPORT FROM MULTIPLE WITNESSES, which WERE TURNED IN TO EVIDENCE, AS WELL AS the VIDEO SURVEILLANCE DISK. |
