01/19/2026
Off-Duty Jacksonville Sheriff's Officer Arrested for Battery After Alleged Altercation at Jacksonville Beach Skate Park
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — An off-duty officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) was arrested over the weekend after witnesses accused him of pulling a teenager off an e-bike and throwing him to the ground at Sunshine Park in Jacksonville Beach causing minor injuries.
The incident occurred on Saturday, January 17, when local police responded to reports of teenagers riding e-bikes inside the park — a violation of park rules.
During the response, one teenager informed officers that an adult had forcibly removed him from his e-bike and tossed him to the ground.
Multiple witnesses corroborated the teen's account, identifying the suspect as Stephen D. Hicks, a five-year veteran of JSO. According to JSO, Hicks allegedly grabbed the teen, pulled him off the e-bike, and threw him down, with Hicks falling on top of the youth during the altercation.
Hicks was charged with battery and taken into custody. JSO has administratively reassigned him pending the outcome of the investigation.
This marks the fourth arrest involving a JSO employee in 2026 so far, following other recent incidents within the agency.
The investigation is ongoing, and no further details on the officer's status or the teen's condition have been released. JSO emphasized that the department takes such allegations seriously.