Daytona Beach, FL – A high-ranking member of Bethune-Cookman University’s athletic department is facing charges for headbutting a police officer on homecoming weekend.
52-year-old Robert “Tony” O’Neal – a Port Orange resident – is out on $5,000 bond from Volusia County Jail following his arrest on October 24th at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium during the Wildcats football game.
O’Neal – who works for the school as a Senior Associate Athletic Director – was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer and has entered a not guilty plea in court.
According to the arrest report, O’Neal “became irate” at a Daytona Beach Police Department sergeant after he drove up to the southern parking lot gate on a golf cart and requested help with in-house rules on parking tickets.
The report shows that O’Neal yelled at the sergeant and “aggressively” jumped out of the golf cart, hitting the sergeant’s face with his forehead.
O’Neal then allegedly ran up to the sergeant, grabbed him in the chest area with his hands and pushed him away after the sergeant had backed away from O’Neal.
It was at that point, per the report, that at least 3 other officers – all of whom claimed to have witnessed the entire incident – took O’Neal to the ground and placed him in handcuffs after he disobeyed commands from the officers.
The report shows that O’Neal was “very apologetic” about what happened and that one of the officers may have caught part of the incident with his body camera.
No serious injuries were reported.
The school had no official comment on the arrest and wouldn’t say if O’Neal will be facing any internal discipline.
Robert “Tony” O’Neal (mugshot courtesy VCJ)
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.