Late on the night of January 4, a Flagler County (Florida) Sheriff’s Deputy encountered a man on a bicycle in Palm Coast who refused to stop and speak, fled from the deputy, and brandished a handgun, the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.

Deputy Christopher Murphy nudged the suspect with the fender of his patrol vehicle and knocked him off the bike. Murphy then took the suspect into custody with the assistance of Deputy Michael Anderson.

 The suspect has been identified by law enforcement as Michael McDermott. A 9mm Ruger firearm was recovered near McDermott, who was found wearing a holster for the weapon, the sheriff’s office said.

McDermott was arrested for Assault or Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, Fleeing and Eluding, Resisting an Officer with Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. He was transported to AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway due to a minor injury to his right ankle. After being treated and released, he was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.

McDermott has an extensive arrest history in Flagler County since 2013 and prior to his arrest had been released from the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on December 17, 2024, after serving a 90-day sentence for Possession of Fentanyl.