Brian Dobis, a 61-year-old resident of East Lake Drive in Palm Coast, faces three felony charges, including child abuse and assaulting a law enforcement officer, following his arrest over an alleged altercation with his wife and daughter late Friday night.
Dobis was initially arguing with his wife when one of the couple’s daughters began recording the verbal altercation with her phone. When Dobis noticed, he tried taking the phone away from her. When that failed, he allegedly struck her in the face with an open hand. (The alleged victim’s sister told Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies that Dobis had been abusive toward her sister and her mother before but that it had not been reported to police.)
The alleged victim told deputies her father struck her several times, so she bit him on the right bicep to get him to stop. He “continued to batter her until he gained control of her phone,” his arrest report states, and once he did so, he walked away. One of the daughters then told him she would be calling 911. She took her mother’s phone, ran to her sister’s bathroom and called.
Dobis was in the garage when cops arrived. He would not step out of the garage when deputies asked him, “taking an aggressive stance by balling up his fists and flexing his chest,” according to a deputy’s report. Dobis allegedly did not comply with commands several more times, sitting instead on a step inside a house door “belligerently yelling and causing a disturbance.” He allegedly ignored a command to put his hands behind his back so he could be handcuffed, and “attempted to lunge at Deputy Denker and I several times while attempting to restrain him.”
A few minutes later the deputies had him restrained and walked him to the living room to speak to him. “Once in the living room [Dobis] attempted to pull away from Deputy Denker and resist our verbal commands to stop,” the report states. The deputies tried to walk him back out, to secure him in a patrol car.
“When we escorted [Dobis] outside the residence he thrusted his right elbow into Deputy Denkers’ chest, knocking Deputy Denker’s Axon camera off of his chest,” the report states. Dobis “then started pulling away from Deputy Denker and thrusted his right leg in a backward direction striking Deputy Denker in his left leg. At that time Deputy Denker and I redirected [Dobis] to the ground in an effort to regain control” of him. He was eventually placed in the back of a patrol car.
Deputies noted two prior drunk driving and a disorderly intoxication charge on Dobis’s record, and a prior charge of obstructing an officer without violence from 1990 that was dropped. He faces three third-degree felony charges. He posted bail on $7,000 bond Saturday afternoon but is required to comply with a no-contact order applying to family members. He is scheduled for an arraignment on Sept. 24.
MannyHM says
Take away guns from him. He shouldn’t have access to alcohol or places where alcohol is served.
He is on the path to destruction if left uncontrolled.
Vinny says
“taking an aggressive stance by balling up his fists and flexing his chest ” that’s a sign of a heart attack !
Jolene Dehart says
This is why I stay single.
G says
I met this man one time and in that time meeting him he was awesome and as we were talking he felt the need to tell me that he had two daughters and that he loved them but they always give him and his wife a hard time he then cried and asked me to please talk with his daughters I told him I couldn’t do that but for this man to break down like that I just knew I had to help but he left I never saw him again he is awesome and he is an engineer and travels all around because he works for government contracts he was telling me how he buys them everything and anything but they run away and tell him “fuck off” I understand you can’t put your hands on children anymore but sometimes they need it and I’m a 22 year old kid he didn’t beat her up he just took her phone if my kid ever thinks it’s ok to record me yelling at them there’s something wrong I’m sorry it had to be like that Brian I should have helped
Brian says
The Palm Coast that ITT envisioned 40 years ago has become a ghetto sewer.
Trailer Bob says
People like this should not be allowed on the streets with the rest of us. He apparently has no control of his anger.
Steve Jones says
a lot of people dont know that you can record whatever you want when youre out in public or even in a lot of other situations because of the 1st amendment.
Steve says
Thinkin alcohol/Anger management problem. Your own Family then Cops…smh
Hugh Janus says
wow what was this guy thinking?
Just me says
@ G I don’t there is anything you could have done, I agree about the office but he went too far and touched innocent children and he needs to pay for that crime.
The Geode says
Sounds like he needs to run while he can…
Hmmm says
I love it when people refer to palm coast as ghetto. Its obvious you know nothing about ghetto, expect perhaps driving through one. Palm Coast is a nice little town with human beings that have real life problems. And everyone has their problems.
Anonymous says
Sounds to me like this man needs a LONG term alcohol addiction program–one that will include a family counseling component before and after he steps down from inpatient to outpatient.
Donna says
Disgraceful behavior!