A Daytona Beach man has formally put the City of Edgewater on notice, demanding $180,000 after he says he was wrongly arrested outside a CVS and then locked up in the Volusia County jail for more than two days before prosecutors chose not to move forward with charges. The claim, filed this month under Florida's tort-claims rules, accuses a city officer of using excessive force and inflicting physical and emotional harm. Family members and attorneys point to body-camera video they say shows an officer threatening to use a Taser and release a K-9 while their client waited outside the store for a ride home.
What the pre-suit letter alleges
The law firm representing the man says it mailed a pre-suit notice on March 3 to City Manager Joe Mahoney, seeking $180,000 and recounting an arrest on May 10, 2025, outside the CVS at 1806 S. Ridgewood Ave. The notice alleges Officer Daniel Rippeon pointed a Taser at 22-year-old Paul Adam Wert IV and warned that he could release a K-9 while Wert stood by for a Lyft. The letter states that Wert was held for roughly two-and-a-half days before prosecutors filed a “no information,” declining to proceed. Attorney Daniel P. Faherty called the body-camera footage “disturbing and sickening,” according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Officer's status and community reaction
Local television coverage shows the Edgewater Police Department initially placed Rippeon on administrative leave, then later announced he had been “separated as an employee” while an internal investigation continued. Wert's grandparents appeared before the city council and said they were outraged, arguing he was accosted and then jailed for days after finishing a work shift. ClickOrlando reported that prosecutors ultimately declined to prosecute the resisting-officer charge.
Legal timeline and what's next
Under Florida law, most claims against a city must be presented in writing before a lawsuit can be filed, and if an agency does not make a final decision within six months, the claim is treated as denied, which clears the way for litigation. That process is set out in Florida Statute 768.28. The pre-suit notice says Wert will release his claims if the city pays the $180,000 demand; if officials do not pay within the statutory window, his attorney says he will file suit, according to reporting by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Coverage and local stakes
The case has stirred fresh debate about training and use-of-force policies in smaller departments and started the legal clock for Edgewater's risk managers to decide whether to settle or fight. FOX 35 Orlando aired a brief segment on the claim and the body-camera footage yesterday. Local outlets report that the department has acknowledged growing attention on social media as the internal review continues, and the city now has to choose between resolving the claim early or gearing up for a potential lawsuit in court.
