Marion County man fires flare gun at deputy's patrol car, faces multiple charges, officials say

Marion County man fires flare gun & strips down to underwear: deputies

A convicted felon was arrested early Tuesday after authorities say he fired a flare gun at a Marion County sheriff’s deputy during a bizarre encounter on Highway 19.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A convicted felon was arrested early Tuesday after authorities say he fired a flare gun at a Marion County sheriff’s deputy during a bizarre encounter on Highway 19.

What we know:

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post, Deputy Mingus spotted Jacob Daniel Caldwell walking along the highway around 4:20 a.m. and stopped to check on him. That’s when Caldwell allegedly fired a flare gun directly at the deputy’s patrol vehicle.

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After the shot, Caldwell reportedly removed his pants, threw money at the deputy, and ignored repeated commands to comply. Deputy Mingus deployed his Taser twice, but Caldwell continued to remove the probes before he was ultimately subdued and taken into custody.

Caldwell, a convicted felon, later admitted to firing the flare gun, authorities said.

He was charged with firing a missile into a vehicle, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, and resisting an officer without violence. 

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Caldwell was booked into the Marion County Jail.

No injuries were reported in the incident.