A Silver Springs placed under a Baker Act became disruptive with paramedics on the way to the hospital and fought with deputies while being arrested last week.
Benjamin K. Ard, 35, of 1090 SE 178th Terrace, was charged with two counts of battery on an officer and single counts of resisting an officer without violence and criminal mischief.
Marion County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched Sept. 10 to the intersection of SE Highway 42 and South Highway 475 after receiving reports of a shirtless white man jumping in front of moving vehicles and sitting in the roadway. They found a man who matched the description – later identified as Ard – sitting in the middle of the road on the 2600 block of SE Highway 42 in Summerfield, according to the sheriff’s office report.
Ard told the deputies he was sitting in the roadway because he, “wants out of here.” He was sweating profusely and appeared to be under the influence of an unknown drug. Because of Ard’s erratic behavior, he was placed under a Baker Act, the report said.
Ard refused to give his date of birth so he could be properly identified and kept asking, “Am I under arrest?” A deputy told him he wasn’t under arrest but needed to identify himself. Ard continued to refuse to provide his birth date, according to the report.
Marion County Fire Rescue responded and tried to take Ard to AdventHealth, but paramedics pulled over just south of the intersection of South Highway 475 and SE 32nd Street. They said Ard was being disruptive and disrespectful towards them and they couldn’t continue with the transport, the report said.
A deputy asked Ard to get out of the ambulance to be taken in a patrol car to the hospital. Ard was initially cooperative, but when he got near the vehicle, he refused to get in the back seat. The deputy grabbed his wrist and tried to detain him, but he pulled away, according to the report.
Ard tightened his arms and refused to listen to the deputy’s orders to get into the car. At one point he pulled away and said, “You wanna (expletive deleted) dance, I’ll dance with you,” insinuating he wanted to fight. The deputy pulled out his taser and threatened to use it, and Ard eventually listened and placed his hands behind his back, the report said.
However, when the deputy tried to place him in the vehicle, Ard lifted his legs up and kicked the car. He continued to pull away and another deputy had to help. Ard kicked both deputies – one in the groin and the other in the thigh, according to the report.
While on the way to the Marion County Jail, Ard started kicking the inside of the patrol vehicle’s. He tore off the rear passenger door handle and removed some of the door accessories. Ard dented the rear passenger door frame to the point where the window could not go up or down. Total damage to the vehicle was estimated at $1,500, the report said.
Throughout the incident, Ard did not provide his birth date. He was identified at the jail via fingerprints. Ard is being held on $27,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Oct. 13.