A 39-year-old Winter Park man is facing a felony charge carrying a mandatory five-year prison term after he allegedly pulled a metal bar from under his shirt and struck a Holly Hill police officer in the head outside a Winn-Dixie store. The officer was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and a bystander who jumped in to help subdue the suspect may have prevented the confrontation from turning worse.
Holly Hill police were called to the Winn-Dixie at 1541 N. Nova Road, inside the Holly Hill Shopping Center, on October 6 after reports of a homeless man trespassing, causing a disturbance, and damaging property, according to WKMG. Investigators said the responding officer found Charles Anthony Crowley acting disorderly and erratic, and as the station reports, Crowley then grabbed a large metal bar concealed under his shirt and swung it at the officer, striking him on the head.
Both the officer and Crowley were taken to the hospital afterward for what police described as minor injuries.
Charges Carry Mandatory Prison Time
Crowley was arrested in connection with the incident, according to WKMG.
The aggravated battery charge is especially consequential. Under Florida Statute § 784.07(2)(d), aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer is a first-degree felony that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in state prison upon conviction, leaving little room for judicial discretion to reduce the term. The resisting-with-violence count he also faces is a third-degree felony under Florida Statute § 843.01, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Florida law also offers a legal backdrop for the bystander's actions. Under Florida Statute § 843.06, officers are authorized to command assistance from civilians when making an arrest or preventing a breach of the peace, though people often step in voluntarily during physical altercations, as appears to have happened outside the Winn-Dixie.
Officer Assault Data and Other Encounters
A Hoodline report cited FBI data published in May 2026 showing more than 90,000 officer assault incidents.
The Winn-Dixie call began with reports of trespassing, a disturbance, and property damage.
Holly Hill's department has seen its own share of turbulence and violent encounters in recent years. In May 2024, a man armed with a knife was fatally shot by Holly Hill officers on Ridgewood Avenue; according to FOX 35 Orlando, a responding officer had him at gunpoint before shots were fired.
Volatile encounters have not been limited to Holly Hill. Last month, officers in neighboring Port Orange shot an armed 71-year-old woman in the parking lot outside a police station after she fired shots inside the lobby and exited, according to Hoodline's prior coverage, underscoring the string of tense confrontations Volusia County police have faced in recent months.
It remains unclear whether Crowley will undergo a court-ordered mental health evaluation given the erratic behavior described by responding officers, and the identity of the bystander who helped subdue him has not been released. Crowley remains held without bond in the Volusia County jail as the case moves forward.
