The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported 15 arrests during the Independence Day holiday weekend as deputies responded to 1,310 calls for service and conducted 222 traffic stops between 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2, 2026, and 6 a.m. Monday, July 6, 2026. Two of the arrests were for driving under the influence.
One of the weekend’s most notable incidents occurred Friday when deputies arrested Ryan McMinn, 47, of Palm Coast, on two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer after a rescue from a canal.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies initially contacted McMinn during a welfare check after finding him shirtless outside Wadsworth Elementary School. When a deputy attempted to speak with him, McMinn ran away. Minutes later, a resident on Whittle Place reported that a man was crawling through their backyard and attempting to climb the side of their home.
Deputies located McMinn near a canal behind the residence. After officers asked if he needed help, authorities said he ran into the canal and began swimming. Deputies repeatedly ordered him to leave the water, but he refused. As McMinn appeared to become exhausted while treading water, two deputies entered the canal to rescue him.
The Sheriff’s Office said McMinn resisted the rescue by pushing and pulling away from deputies. Authorities allege he attempted to push one deputy’s head underwater and grabbed at another deputy’s neck before officers gained control and brought him safely to shore.
McMinn was treated by Flagler County Fire Rescue and transported to AdventHealth Palm Coast, where he was medically cleared before being booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. He is being held on a $5,000 bond.
Sheriff Rick Staly praised the deputies’ actions, saying, “Battering a Deputy Sheriff will guarantee you the loss of your freedom and a trip to jail. These deputies went into the water to rescue this guy, and he responded by fighting them. I commend our deputies for their willingness to get in a canal that usually have snakes and gators and pull this guy to safety before he drowned.”
On Sunday, deputies arrested Nicholas Blaisdell, 40, of Palm Coast, following what authorities described as his second interaction with law enforcement that day.
Deputies responded to a report of an intoxicated man wandering the parking lot of a Publix on North Ocean Shore Boulevard. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies found Blaisdell sitting inside a vehicle with the engine running. When he noticed a patrol vehicle, authorities said he attempted to drive away, swerving through the parking lot before returning to the same parking space.
After stopping, Blaisdell exited the vehicle and placed his keys on the roof. Deputies reported that he had difficulty maintaining his balance, had watery eyes, and smelled strongly of alcohol.
Authorities said Blaisdell initially refused to identify himself before eventually providing his first name. Deputies also recognized him from an earlier incident in which he had been trespassed from a nearby gas station after allegedly being heavily intoxicated and acting belligerently toward customers.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Blaisdell refused to perform field sobriety exercises and later declined to provide a breath sample after his arrest. He was taken to AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway for medical clearance, where authorities said he refused treatment and directed profanity toward hospital staff before returning to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
Deputies also reported that Blaisdell threatened an officer by saying, “the second these handcuffs come off, I’m going to punch you,” and refused to sign his DUI citation.
He was charged with DUI, refusal to accept or sign a citation, threats of harm to a law enforcement officer, and obstruction without violence. Blaisdell is being held on a $7,500 bond.
Commenting on the arrest, Sheriff Staly said, “This guy obviously becomes an arrogant and belligerent drunk, which continued at the jail. Instead of celebrating the holiday responsibly, he lost his freedom and was shown some new bars at the Green Roof Inn. I thank our team for professionally dealing with this drunk.”
