A Saturday night in the Florida Keys took a wild turn when a Marathon man, initially found passed out near a bar, allegedly woke up fighting. What started as a welfare check on a man lying in the street quickly escalated into a violent struggle with law enforcement.
It happened around 9 p.m. Deputies were called to the area near the Brass Monkey bar at U.S. 1 and Sombrero Beach Road. When they arrived, they found 54-year-old Donald Philip Parkinson unconscious in the roadway.
He was breathing, but unresponsive. A manager at the bar told the officers they wanted Parkinson formally trespassed from the business.
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When Parkinson finally came to, the situation shifted gears. Authorities say he was heavily intoxicated and couldn’t walk without support from the deputies. Instead of accepting the help, Parkinson began yelling, cursing, and threatening to fight the Sheriff’s Office members. He refused to get into the patrol vehicle and continued to cause a scene.
Deputies transported him to Fishermen’s Hospital for medical clearance, but the aggression reportedly followed him there.
While at the hospital, Parkinson continued screaming and even attempted to head-butt a deputy. The struggle continued during the ride to jail, where he allegedly kicked and punched at the officers while making further threats.
Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported during the scuffles. Parkinson is now facing charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly intoxication.
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