Polling place fight sends candidate to hospital

A political battle outside a polling place sent one St. Johns County candidate to the hospital.

One eyewitness told Action News Jax that a conversation that escalated to a fight in just a matter of moments.

Bob Smith was one of the witnesses listed in a police report involving a verbal and physical fight between Merrill Roland, a candidate for the Anastasia Mosquito board, and Eric West, an official with the county’s Republican Party.

According to police reports, the two were discussing Roland’s frustration at not being included in this sample ballot, distributed by the county’s Republican Party.

Smith, who knows both men, said that’s when conversation became cussing.

He said, “Merrill pushed him. Eric pushed back but when he pushed him he spat on him. Right behind, that was when he was drawing the Taser, or that might have been simultaneous, things moved fast.”

In a phone interview, Roland told Action News Jax that his attempt to Taser West was an attempt at self-preservation, but only one of the barbs stuck.

“I have an artificial leg. I walk with a cane and he knocked the cane out of my hand. He knocked the glasses off my face and I went down to the ground,” Roland recalled of the altercation.

Action News Jax contacted West who said he had “no comment” about the incident.

Roland said he spent Thursday at the hospital recovering from a concussion.

Records revealed that Roland’s long has a history of run-ins with law enforcement.

Both men have accused one another of battery.

At this time, no one was cited and the case will go before the State Attorney’s Office.

Cox Media Group