Woman Who Filed False Complaint Against Deputy Will Not Be Prosecuted

DeLand, FL – The State Attorney’s Office (SAO) has decided not to prosecute a woman who filed a false complaint that alleged she was touched inappropriately by a Volusia County deputy. The case in question involves Tammy Stuck, a Deltona resident, who filed a complaint with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office after a deputy at Deltona City Hall supposedly touched the "inner part" of her leg near her thigh. Stuck spoke out about the incident at a later Deltona City Council meeting and demanded that the metal detector in city hall be removed. Her husband, Jeff Stuck, also spoke about the incident. "I had to deal with, for, oh probably the first 10 or 15 years of our marriage, her getting over what happened to her as a child," said Jeff to the city council. "To have that son of a bitch touch her the way he did, and because of his badge and his gun, I couldn’t do a damn thing about it and neither could she." The situation soon caught the ire of Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who published a response in defense of his deputy alongside video of the alleged incident. Footage shared by the sheriff shows that Mrs. Stuck was touched by the deputy, but not how she described it. After learning that Stuck filed a complaint with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office (VSO) about the deputy, Sheriff Chitwood announced that his agency was pressing charges against her for filing a false complaint—which is punishable by one year in jail, one year of probation, and $1,000 in fines. An update on the case from the SAO says prosecutors have officially filed no information, meaning the state has decided not to prosecute this case. In a statement released by the SAO, Managing Assistant State Attorney Mike Willard writes that the facts of the case are not in dispute, since the entire incident was captured on footage. On the subject of Stuck’s complaint, Willard says  "the complaint is saturated with her own editorial and opinion." "The only fact she presents is that the deputy felt the area of her thigh," wrote Willard. "Said statement is true in the sense that he was required to pat down the area on both sides of the knee to confirm the existence of the brace in lieu of a potential weapon." Willard continued by saying Stuck’s statement is "arguably politically motivated" as she has called for the metal detector and screening process to be removed as a prerequisite to enter city commission meetings. Willard noted that the detectors and extra security measures were put into place after her husband attended a meeting and allowed an acquaintance to speak to the commission, via speakerphone. The acquaintance then launched into a tirade that included "disturbing and threatening rhetoric aimed at the Deltona City Commission." On the subject of Stuck’s charge, Willard states that her comments and opinions do not fall within then purview of criminal conduct under the statute listed in the criminal complaint.