A man was arrested early Sunday morning after a police officer kicked down a gate to reach him during a disturbance at the Inspire Homes development in Wildwood.
Scott Elliott Barclay, 48, is facing a charge of resisting an officer without violence following the chaotic incident, which began at about 12:30 a.m. at his home on Arrow Wood Loop.
According to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department, officers responded to the residence after multiple neighbors called 911 to report that an older man was physically fighting a younger man.
When officers arrived, no one answered the front door. An officer walked to the side of the house and spotted Barclay standing in a fenced-in backyard with several women. The officer ordered the group to come to the front of the house so police could investigate the reported battery, but Barclay yelled back that he was “not going to comply.”
After Barclay repeatedly refused commands and the officer found the side gate jammed or locked, the officer delivered a “front heel kick” to force the gate open.
The officer ordered Barclay to the ground, but he again refused. Officers grabbed Barclay’s wrist, pulled him away from the women and placed him in handcuffs. Barclay, who smelled strongly of alcohol, began yelling that his rights were being violated and threatened to sue the officer for “manhandling” him.
When officers tried to place him in the back of a patrol car, Barclay leaned against the vehicle and refused to get inside, stating he wanted to “stand there and look at his house.” Officers were eventually forced to push him into the back seat. Once inside, he continued to act belligerently, yelling profanities, kicking the patrol car door and striking his head against the partition.
Police noted that neighborhood surveillance video captured Barclay battering another male inside the residence prior to their arrival. However, the victim refused to cooperate with the investigation or press charges for the battery.
Barclay was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. He was released after posting $500 bond.