STUART, Fla. — A South Florida man working as a Salvation Army bell ringer outside a supermarket is accused of trying to impale the store’s manager with his kettle tripod, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Steven Scott Pavlik, 63, of Stuart, was arrested on Dec. 23. An online arrest report noted that Pavlik was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.
Police were called to a Publix supermarket in Stuart at 6:49 p.m. ET on Dec. 23 after receiving a report of a customer “causing a disturbance” by yelling at staff members and other customers.
According to the arrest report, the store manager spoke with Pavlik, who had been ringing the bell for the Salvation Army kettle outside of Publix since Thanksgiving. The manager asked Pavlik to leave the premises and escorted him outside the store to collect his Salvation Army implements, including a collection bucket, tripod and bag.
Deputies said that Pavlik then attempted to “spear” the manager with the sharp end of the tripod. The manager was able to intercept the thrust, and Pavlik walked away from the supermarket, according to the arrest warrant.
Pavlik’s attempted assault was witnessed by another Publix employee who accompanied the manager outside of the store, according to the arrest affidavit. The manager was not injured, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies later contacted Pavlik at his residence, located less than two miles north of the supermarket.
According to the arrest report, Pavlik appeared at the door “holding a large knife in his hand, in a raised manner.” However, Pavlik dropped the knife when ordered to do so by deputies.
The news release from the sheriff’s office implied that Pavlik was intoxicated at the time of his confrontation at the supermarket; however, the actual arrest report made no mention of Pavlik’s alleged condition.
The report did state that the suspect allegedly claimed that “he had a bionic eye” that recorded his interaction with authorities and that he was “going to see us again” in federal court.
Pavlik was arrested at 8:40 p.m. ET after briefly attempting to pull away from the deputies at the residence, the arrest report noted.
His bond was set at $3,000, online records show.
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