PALM COAST, Fla. – A man faces charges after he set fire to a mattress and then attacked a firefighter and deputy who responded to the scene, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s office.
Deputies said Mark McKerlie, 48, set fire to a mattress inside a home along Blyth Place in Palm Coast around 10 p.m. Thursday. Investigators said he started the fire after a fight with family members earlier in the evening.
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Firefighters were able to contain the damage to the back of the home where the fire started, according to the release. As crews dealt with the fire, first responders went to check on McKerlie and the other residents who were forced out of the house.
Body camera video shows McKerlie sitting on the tailgate of a fire truck and swinging his cane at first responders. Investigators said he hit a deputy in the head and a firefighter in the chest before he could be subdued.
McKerlie faces two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer/first responder and one count of arson.