A Leesburg man is in the Lake County Jail after he reportedly struck an elderly man in the head with a handgun during a dispute that started when the victim yelled for him to slow down while driving through his neighborhood.
Lacy Olen Bryant, 59, of 9 Live Oak Drive, was charged with aggravated battery on a person 65 years or older, simple battery on a person 65 years or older, and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. He’s being held on $14,000 bond.
Shortly before noon Thursday, Leesburg police officers responded to the victim’s residence and were speaking to him when Bryant drove by in a 2016 silver Dodge Ram pickup truck. They immediately conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, according to the police report.
Bryant told the officers he did nothing wrong and said he was on his way to a doctor’s appointment. When told why he was stopped, Bryant admitted to hitting the victim but claimed the victim pushed him first, the report said.
Asked if he had a firearm, Bryant said he did but it wasn’t used during the altercation. He said the gun was in the center console under the radio. An officer retrieved the weapon, which was a black/grey Taurus Spectrum .380 with a fully loaded magazine and no round in the chamber. In the same area was another fully loaded magazine, according to the report.
A small amount of blood was on the side of the firearm, and another trace of blood was on the outside of the driver’s door. A computer search showed Bryant did have a concealed carry permit but it expired last August, the report said.
Meanwhile, another officer spoke with the victim, who was being treated by Leesburg Fire and Lake EMS personnel. The victim said he saw Bryant’s vehicle going at a high speed down his street and yelled for him to slow down. He said Bryant got out of his truck and started yelling profanities at him, according to the report.
The victim said Bryant hit him with the firearm on the left side of his face. He said when he tried to stand up, Bryant hit him with his left hand, connecting with the victim’s right ear. Bryant then got into his truck and left, the report said.
The victim’s neighbor said she was looking outside her window and saw what appeared to be the victim struggling with Bryant’s driver’s-side door. She said she could see the victim but couldn’t see Bryant. She said she went and told her husband because she thought the victim had been in a confrontation, according to the report.
The neighbor said she looked out again and saw the victim on the ground. She said he appeared to be injured. The neighbor said she yelled, “Yooooooo,” to get Bryant’s attention, but he sped off, the report said.
Bryant is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on Aug. 29.
