Moment $167.3M Powerball winner is tackled, tased after attacking Florida deputy
Bodycam footage from the April 29 brawl caught James Farthing, 50, booting a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy in the head when police arrived at the TradeWinds Resort, in St. Pete Beach, after he allegedly punched a hotel guest in the face, WFLA reported.
The deputy was holding another person to the ground when Farthing ran up and kicked him, with resort security rushing in to pin the suspect against the wall and help the deputy.
4 James Farthing, 50, was arrested on April 29 after he kicked a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy in the head.
Pinellas County Sheriffs Office
4 Officers tased and tackled Farthing after he tried to make a run for it inside the TradeWinds Resort, in St. Pete Beach, Florida.
Pinellas County Sheriffs Office
'I just got kicked,' the dumbfounded deputy could be heard radioing as the security guards yelled at Farthing to stand down.
The officer quickly picked up his taser from the ground and confronted Farthing, ordering him to put his hands up.
'Put your hands behind your back right f—king now. Put your hands behind your back and get the f—king wall,' the deputy repeated, shoving Farthing to the wall.
The suspect quickly slipped behind a column and tried to run away, with the deputy firing his taser as another officer tackled Farthing to the ground.
4 Farthing was revealed to be a career criminal with a long rap sheet before winning the lottery.
PCSO
'I'm sorry man, please,' Farthing could be heard saying as the officers handcuffed him.
'Save your f—king sorries for later,' the deputy fired back.
The law enforcement officer had 'swelling and redness' on the right side of his face under his eye, according to the affidavit first reported on by the Smoking Gun.
4 Days before his arrest, Farthing celebrated winning Kentucky's largest lottery jackpot.
Kentucky Lottery
Farthing hit Kentucky's largest lottery jackpot just day before the encounter, opting to split the winnings with his mother as an early Mother's Day gift.
Following his arrest at the TradeWinds Resort, it was revealed that Farthing was a career criminal who had has racked up convictions across nine counties in Kentucky for a litany of offenses — including choking a girlfriend, bribing officers while in prison and selling cocaine to an undercover cop, according to the Smoking Gun.
Along with Farthing, police also arrested his girlfriend, Jacqueline Fightmaster, 42, for alleged involvement in the brawl.
Farthing was charged with resisting an officer without violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, battery, and parole violation.
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Bodycam footage shows Powerball winner arrested after kicking deputy in face
Newly released body camera footage shows Florida deputies arresting a Kentucky Powerball winner after allegedly kicking a deputy in the face, shortly after he collected the jackpot prize. James Farthing, 50, was charged with one felony count of battery on a law enforcement officer and two misdemeanor counts of simple battery and resisting an officer in connection with the incident on April 29. Farthing's girlfriend, Jacqueline Fightmaster, was also arrested. She was charged with one misdemeanor count of disorderly intoxication. She was accused of trying to fight other patrons in the resort bar. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office released body camera video on Tuesday that appeared to show Farthing kicking a deputy in the face as he attempted to break up a fight between the suspect and another man. Deputies had arrived at the Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, and found two men fighting and a woman on the ground. Farthing allegedly punched another hotel guest in the face during an argument. When a responding deputy attempted to break up the fight, Farthing allegedly kicked him in the face and subsequently tried to flee the scene, although deputies used a taser, and he was tackled before being taken into custody. "No shirt comes over to kick him, misses and hits me right here," the deputy is heard saying in the video. The other man involved in the fight was also seen being placed in handcuffs. The arrests came shortly after Farthing and his mother won the Powerball jackpot in Kentucky. Farthing had purchased a $2 ticket from a gas station in Georgetown, Kentucky. After matching all the numbers, Farthing and his mother, Linda Grizzle, won a $167.3 million jackpot prize, the largest ever awarded in the state. Farthing was on parole for charges in Kentucky when he was arrested in Florida. He waived his right to a probable cause hearing in June, requesting to serve out the remainder of his sentence. He is expected to be released later this month. He has a lengthy criminal history, having spent a total of 30 years in prison at various facilities, according to reports. He has convictions across nine counties in Kentucky for several offenses, including choking a girlfriend, bribing officers while in prison and selling cocaine to an undercover officer.
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Bodycam footage shows Powerball winner arrested after allegedly kicking deputy in face
Body camera footage shows Florida deputies arresting a Kentucky Powerball winner after he allegedly kicked a deputy in the face. (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)
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