A Volusia County man was arrested after Port Orange police said he punched an 80-year-old man who asked him to watch his language at an Applebee's restaurant Sunday.

Mikie Sawyer, 26, was charged with disorderly conduct and battery on a person 65 or older.

According to an arrest report, the victim said he was at the bar in the Applebee's on the 1300 block of Dunlawton Avenue, when he observed Sawyer loudly saying the "F-word" and other foul language. The victim told police he approached Sawyer and politely asked him to stop using that language so loudly.

Police said Sawyer told the man he didn't have to stop cursing if he didn't want to. After that, the 80-year-old leaned into Sawyer and told him in his native Germany, no one would speak in such a manner.

That, police said, was when Sawyer punched the man in the face and pushed him to the ground. The victim, who was treated at the scene, said he didn't remember much after that.



Other witnesses at the bar told police Sawyer left the restaurant after hitting the victim. The restaurant manager said he approached Sawyer in the parking lot and told him he would take down his license plate number if he left before police arrived.

Police said Sawyer then charged at and threatened the manager before eventually driving off from the parking lot.

Based on the manager's description of the truck, police stopped Sawyer and questioned him. Sawyer initially told police he pushed the 80-year-old away, which caused him to fall, but did not punch him. But police said Sawyer later changed his story several times, first saying the man pushed him first, and later saying Sawyer, himself, pushed first.

The police officer who interviewed Sawyer said he didn't notice any kind of bruising on Sawyer's face indicating he was hit first, but did see his knuckles appeared bruised. Sawyer was arrested and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on a bond of $2,500.

