Ex-Daytona Beach police officer convicted of a lesser charge for stabbing man outside bar
A jury found an ex-Daytona Beach police officer guilty Thursday of felony battery, a much less serious offense than what he was originally charged with, for stabbing a man two years ago outside a New Smyrna Beach bar.
Shane Jackson, 52, was initially charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Felony battery is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
A jury of four women and two men began deliberations at about 4:10 p.m. and reached a verdict at about 5:50 p.m. Jurors declined to comment as they left the courtroom.
Circuit Judge Leah Case set sentencing for July 24 at 1:30 p.m. at the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach. The judge revoked Jackson's bond and ordered that he be returned to jail to await sentencing.
Jackson gave his watch and other items to a woman in the gallery and then hugged his mother before he was handcuffed and led away.
Jackson stabbed Jarrett Stadtler on March 10, 2021, leaving him with an injury that would put him in the hospital for two weeks and then send him back to the hospital with an infection.
Stadtler declined to comment after the verdict.
Jackson was fired after the incident, which started inside Tayton O’Brians at 410 Flagler Ave. in New Smyrna Beach. Jackson, who was off-duty and in street clothes, got in a confrontation with Stadtler and some of his friends, including Taylor Morgan, now 24, and Eli Johnson.
Morgan testified that Jackson was getting too close to her and was being a creep. Stadtler said he got between Morgan and Jackson to keep Jackson away from her. Johnson was on stage singing karaoke.
Stadtler and Jackson got into a confrontation and Johnson testified he came off the stage and punched Jackson who fell to the floor. Jackson and the group of friends were kicked out of the bar.
The tussle resumed outside in front of another bar, video footage showed, and Stadtler was stabbed by Jackson.
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Jackson claimed the stabbing was unintentional.
One of Jackson's attorneys said his client was defending himself and feared that being punched or knocked to the floor again might aggravate a previous neck injury and leave him dead or paralyzed.
Michael Panella said that Stadtler’s group had mocked Jackson outside the Flagler Tavern and that Jackson had suffered a concussion when he was struck by Johnson in the bar and his head hit the floor.
Panella said Jackson was justified in using force to defend himself. Panella also said that the wound caused by the knife was only about 3 centimeters deep, according to hospital records.
Panella said it was Stadtler who initiated the contact with Jackson.
Assistant State Attorney Sarah Thomas said Jackson was not in fear and that he stabbed Stadtler in the abdomen and was going to do it again.
She said Jackson was drunk and played a recording of a jailhouse phone call with his mother in which he admitted he was intoxicated. She said that Jackson was worried that another punch might kill him or paralyze him because of his previous neck injury but yet he still put himself in that situation.
“You can’t create a dangerous situation and then use it to your benefit to claim self-defense,” Thomas said.
“Mr. Jackson was angry,” she said. “He wanted revenge.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ex-Daytona Beach police officer guilty of lesser charge in stabbing
