SEBASTIAN — A Vero Beach man was arrested, accused of hitting Sebastian bar owner and City Council candidate Damien Gilliams after Gilliams tried to remove him from the bar for being “very forward” with one of his employees.
The man, identified as 46-year-old Hermenegildo Hernandez, Jr., of 18th Avenue, Vero Beach, was Tasered by Sebastian Police after he failed to comply with orders and now faces misdemeanor charges of battery and resisting arrest.
According to the arrest report, Gilliams attempted to remove Hernandez from the bar around 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, for being “very forward” with one of Gilliams’ employees.
Outside the bar, Gilliams turned to go back inside, according to the report, and that’s when Hernandez struck Gilliams on the back of the head. Gilliams then got inside and locked the door.
Hernandez then tried kicking the door open, according to what Gilliams and the employee told authorities.
When Sebastian police officers arrived on the scene, they attempted interview Hernandez, who was uncooperative, according to the report. They then attempted to put him in custody but he resisted to the point that he was “escorted” to the ground, where he continued to resist.
An officer then deployed the Taser, striking Hernandez in the back, which forced Hernandez to become compliant.
He was taken into custody on misdemeanor charges of battery and resisting arrest and was transported to Sebastian River Medical Center to receive treatment.
According to the report, one of the two Taser probes lodged under Hernandez’s skin. The doctor who treated Hernandez declared that it would be more harmful to remove the probe than to leave it under his skin.
Hernandez previously has been arrested on three charges of domestic violence between October 2011 and May 2012, according to his arrest record.
