Florida Cop Agreed To "Stand By" And Watch As Father Paddled His Misbehaving Daughter

Here is the police report filed by the Florida sheriff’s deputy who last week agreed to “stand by” and watch while a father spanked his misbehaving 12-year-old daughter with a paddle.

Last Monday evening, Okeechobee Sheriff’s Office Deputy Joseph Hall was dispatched to a residence “in reference to a juvenile problem.” Upon arriving at the home, Hall met with Dale Garcia, a Walmart worker who explained that his daughters Haley and Jessica had been arguing over a tablet computer.

Garcia, 42, told Hall that during the argument Haley locked herself in her bedroom. Jessica, Garcia added, then used a knife to pick the lock and gain entry to her sister’s room (where she bounced upon her sibling’s chest).

“Dale said he wanted to use his paddle to discipline Jessica for using the knife,” noted Hall, who added that Garcia “wanted me to stand by while he spanked her with the paddle.”

Hall reported that he agreed to the request, and subsequently “stood by as Dale spanked Jessica 4 times on her buttocks.” He then departed the Garcia residence since “no crime had been committed.”

A sheriff’s spokesperson said that while deputies are willing to oversee parental discipline, it “is something that's done only when a deputy has no other calls to handle."