Firefighter, Deputy Attacked by Alleged Arsonist with Cane
By Garfield Hylton
Source Orlando Sentinel
Officials arrested a suspected arsonist for attacking a Central Florida deputy and a firefighter responding to a house fire.
Mark McKerlie, 48, is being held without bond for starting the fire after a family fight, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office press release.
Fire rescue and deputies responded to a call about a house fire around 10 a.m. Thursday morning in Palm Coast. The fire first started at the back of the home, forcing John and Sue Beale, and McKerlie to evacuate toward the front yard. A deputy asked them to move into the street as they tended to the fire.
Officials said a deputy walked toward the back of the fire engine to check on McKerlie, who was sitting on the truck’s tailgate. McKerlie hit the deputy in the head with his cane and hit a firefighter in the armpit, according to the press release. Video footage from the scene shows the incident courtesy of a deputy’s body camera.
Investigators said McKerlie started the fire by igniting a mattress. McKerlie said it stemmed from a family fight earlier in the evening.
“Taking a swing at one of our deputies or a firefighter who was trying to help was a big mistake,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Thankfully, my deputy and the firefighter did not suffer any major injuries. This arsonist will now sit in the Green Roof Inn and be held responsible for his actions.”
McKerlie faces two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and one count of arson.
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