NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Deputies arrested a 16-year-old from Lakeland after he pulled a gun out in a crowd Thursday on New Smyrna Beach, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies patrolling the area of the beach just north of Flagler Avenue overheard a crowd yelling, “He has a gun,” around 3:45 p.m. as they dispersed from the area, officials said.
Video from the sheriff's office shows when deputies ran toward the vacated area and found the teen with a gun. Deputies pointed their weapons at him, ordering him to drop his gun as they pressed toward him.
That’s when the teen started running away, gun in hand, through crowds and into the ocean. He threw the gun and a bag he was carrying into the water.
He then put his hands up to surrender, five minutes after the incident began.
The teen was arrested without incident, the sheriff's office said. No one was hurt during the ordeal.
Deputies say they then went back to retrieve the gun and bag the teen threw in the water. They found 20 small plastic baggies of marijuana in the bag.
The teen was charged with 3 counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm by a person under 18, improper exhibition of a firearm and commission of a 2nd degree felony with a weapon, among other charges.
He was also arrested on 7 active no-bond warrants out of Orange County, including robbery with a firearm and violating his probation, according to the news release.
He was taken to Volusia Family Resource Center where he will be processed and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice, officials said.
