Ex-Daytona Beach police officer sentenced to 4 years prison for stabbing man

A former Daytona Beach Police officer was sentenced on Friday to four years in prison for stabbing a man outside a bar in New Smyrna Beach.

Shane Jackson, 52, will also serve one year probation when he is released and he must pay $17,500 in restitution to the man he stabbed.

Jackson was a former Marine who served in Iraq and had 17 years of military service.

Circuit Judge Leah Case acknowledged Jackson’s military service, saying veterans have sacrificed for their country.

But she also noted that the stab wound had nearly taken Jarrett Stadtler’s life.

Case said when you stab someone you have to live with the consequences.

She noted that Jackson had already suffered some consequences, including the loss of his career in law enforcement.

One of Stadtler's friends punched Jackson as he pushed Stadtler across the floor at Tayton O’Brians at 410 Flagler Ave. in New Smyrna Beach. The judge said Jackson was not knocked out, but dazed.

Case said that Jackson saw the group outside the Flagler Tavern and had waited with his knife open for two minutes before approaching them. She said the group told Jackson to leave but he didn’t.

Case said she agreed with Assistant State Attorney Sarah Thomas that some of the arguments made by the defense for mitigation, such as Jackson’s police service, could also be considered aggravators. That’s because as a police officer he was trained in de-escalation.

"He should know better," Thomas had said.

Case said Jackson initiated the situation that night.

“I wish he would have gotten more,” Stadtler said after the sentencing. “I think he should have gotten more than four years. He’s a really bad person and he did a lot of damage to my body mentally and physically. I’m happy that he’s going to prison. He deserved it.”

Jackson stabbed Stadtler on March 10, 2021, leaving him with an injury that would put him in the hospital for two weeks and then send him back to the hospital with an infection.

Jackson was found guilty June 15 of the lesser charge of felony battery by a jury. Jackson was charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Felony battery is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Jackson was fired from the police department after the stabbing. Jackson, who was off-duty and in street clothes, got into a confrontation with Stadtler and some of his friends, including Taylor Morgan and Eli Johnson.

Morgan testified that Jackson was getting too close to her and was being "a creep." Stadtler said he got between Morgan and Jackson to keep Jackson away from her. Johnson was on stage singing karaoke.

Stadtler and Jackson got into a tussle and started what appeared to be pulling and pushing each other across the floor. Johnson testified he came off the stage and punched Jackson who fell to the floor. Jackson and the group of friends were kicked out of the bar.

The conflict resumed in front of the Flagler Tavern, video footage showed, where Jackson and the group got into another confrontation. That escalated with Jackson stabbing Stadtler. Jackson was shown in security video holding a knife behind him before the fight outside the Flagler Tavern.

Jackson testified and claimed the stabbing was unintentional.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ex-Daytona Beach police officer gets 4 years prison for stabbing man