Man who said he wasn’t afraid of battery charge now faces one after allegedly punching deputy

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - A Florida man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he punched a deputy in the face while deputies tried to detain him during a mental health call at a Pensacola home.

According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, deputies were called around 7 a.m. Sunday to a residence on Clairmont Drive for a Baker Act complaint involving 30-year-old Marcus Antonio Austin. Deputies reported that Austin was standing on a bed, yelling and cursing, and refused to cooperate as they moved in to take him into custody.

During the struggle, Austin allegedly struck a deputy on the left side of his face with a closed fist, knocking and damaging the deputy’s prescription glasses, valued at $365, the report states. Investigators said Austin had remarked that he was “not afraid to catch a battery on law enforcement charge” shortly before the altercation.

Crime scene technicians photographed the deputy’s injuries and the damaged glasses, according to the report. Austin was arrested at the scene, taken to the Escambia County Jail and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, a felony under Florida law. He was booked without bond and is scheduled for an Escambia County Circuit Court appearance on April 17.