Defending Daytona 200 Champion Suspended From Race After Arrest

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danny eslick daytona 200 champion Daytona Beach, FL - No matter what happens this weekend, there will be a new winner in this year's marquee Bike Week motorcycle race at Daytona International Speedway. Danny Eslick - the 2-time defending champion of the Daytona 200 - has been suspended from Saturday afternoon's race by the American Motorcyclist Association for actions deemed detrimental to the sport following his arrest earlier this week for assaulting a Daytona Beach Police Department officer on Main Street. "The AMA has extended Eslick’s suspension to all AMA-sanctioned activity," stated a press release sent by the AMA on Thursday. "The suspension will be in effect until this case is resolved, at which time the AMA may lift the suspension or take further action." The 29-year-old Oklahoma resident was taken into custody around 11:45 PM Monday after officers were called to break up a big street fight on the corner of Main and South Atlantic Avenue. According to Eslick’s arrest report, an officer working a detail in the heart of Bike Week festivities spotted Eslick running northbound on Ocean Avenue and took him into custody after another officer saw Eslick shove a 51-year-old Illinois woman to the ground. Eslick – a resident of Broken Arrow – put his hands up in the air and told the officer “I’m just goofing off with my friends” before ignoring the officer’s commands to stop by walking away, per the report. DBPD says the officer grabbed Eslick’s right arm to prevent him from walking away and that’s when Eslick shoved the officer’s shoulder – causing his portable radio microphone to fall from his uniform – and took off running westbound through a nearby alley towards Atlantic. The officer managed to chase Eslick down on foot and grab him by his clothing, but that’s when Eslick broke free, punched the officer in the chest with his fist and assumed a “fighting stance”, per the report. Both men got into a scuffle, with the officer punching Eslick in the chest 3 times before Eslick broke free again. He tripped and fell on the ground as the officer unsuccessfully tried to use his pepper spray to subdue Eslick, according to the report. Eslick was finally taken into custody after climbing over a nearby parking lot fence into the waiting arms of the officer who initially spotted Eslick shoving the woman, per DBPD. The woman had no visible injuries and refused to get treatment or press charges against Eslick, according to the report. No other injuries were reported. Eslick is out on $1,500 bond from Volusia County Jail after he was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. That's a 3rd-degree felony.

danny eslick

Danny Eslick

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