A 23-year-old Ocala man put up a fight as he was being arrested for allegedly beating up a man and causing damage inside a residence.
Bryce Patrick Balch, of 1132 NE 24th Ave., was charged with battery causing bodily harm, criminal mischief with property damage of less than $200, and resisting an officer without violence after the incident, which happened Sunday night. He’ll stay in the Marion County Jail until his sentence ends on April 27.
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy responding to the report of a battery observed Balch walking away from the incident location with a female witness. The deputy informed Balch he was being detained and asked him to place his hands behind his back. When the deputy reached out to handcuff Balch, he pulled away and ran to the witness and grabbed on to her, according to the sheriff’s office report.
Balch continued to disobey orders to place his hands behind his back and had to be taken to the ground. After being placed on the ground, he refused several additional commands to place his hands behind his back before the deputy successfully placed the handcuffs on him, the report said.
The deputy went to the incident location and observed the victim’s left eye was swollen, bruised and bloody. The victim said he was in his bedroom when a witness came to him and said Balch was in the home causing a disturbance. The victim went to the living room and asked Balch to leave the residence. Balch charged at the victim from across the living room and punched him in the face with a closed right fist, according to the report.
The victim said he retreated to his bedroom to get away from Balch, and Balch forced the bedroom door open, causing minor damage to the door jamb, and continued to yell at the victim. Balch then turned and punched three holes in the wall, causing about $60 in damage. Balch and the witness left residence when they were told law-enforcement had been called, the report said.
The victim said Balch and the witness had only been staying at his residence for two nights and are not related to him.