A man reportedly struck a deputy Tuesday while turning himself in at the Marion County Jail.
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy was in the report writing room at the jail, when he was approached by a booking sergeant who asked if the deputy could assist her with a subject who was outside of the sally-port acting irrationally, according to an arrest report. The subject, later identified as 50-year-old Joseph William Russell of Ocala, was turning himself in on a Marion County warrant for retail petit theft, the report stated. Russell had a large knife that was taken away by the detention deputies. As the deputy made contact with Russell, who was very irate, the deputy asked him why he was there and if he had any identification, the report stated. Russell told the deputy that he didn’t have to listen to him, began to cuss and became very disrespectful toward the deputies. At this time, Russell stood up from the bench he was sitting on in a very aggressive manner and refused to sit down. The booking sergeant gently placed her hand on Russell, who began to call her a “bitch.” Another deputy then gently placed his hand on Russell’s shoulder and asked him to sit on the bench, in which Russell snatched away in an aggressive manner and struck the deputy as he was snatching himself away.
Russell was taken to the ground, placed into handcuffs and taken to the booking area for processing. Bond was set at $1,500.
