JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 An off-duty officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office who was recorded on surveillance video last month slamming a teen at a Jacksonville Beach skate park has waived his court appearance set for Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Stephen Hicks, 34, faces a misdemeanor battery charge after surveillance video from Sunshine Skate Park last month showed him grabbing a teenager riding an electric bicycle and slamming the teen to the ground.<\/p>\n
RELATED | Video shows off-duty JSO officer slam teen to ground at Jax Beach skate park; witnesses describe what led up to incident<\/a><\/p>\n According to the arrest report, multiple people had asked the teen to leave the park because e-bikes are prohibited. Witnesses told News4JAX that the teen had been taunting other park-goers before the incident.<\/p>\n The report states the teen was making his way out of the park while still on the bike when Hicks intervened. Hicks identified himself as a JSO detective and left the scene before Jacksonville Beach police arrived, leaving his name and badge number with a witness. He later surrendered to the JSO Integrity Unit.<\/p>\n Riding an electric bicycle inside the skate park is a violation of a park rule, but attorney Shannon Schott, who is representing the family of the victim, believes Hicks went too far when he confronted the teen.<\/a><\/p>\n Schott also said the teen and his family have been harassed and threatened by online commenters.<\/p>\n