Donald Parkinson found unconscious in Marathon, arrested after assaulting deputies

Donald Philip Parkinson, 54, was found unconscious but breathing in the roadway in front of the Brass Monkey bar at U.S. 1 and Sombrero Beach Road at approximately 9 p.m., reports say. Monroe County deputies later arrested Parkinson after authorities say he kicked and punched at members of the sheriff’s office, according to local reporting that cites the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

“Deputies say a manager at the business wished to have Parkinson trespassed from the property,” the report says. When Parkinson woke, “Upon waking, Parkinson began yelling and cursing and stating he was going to fight deputies, reports say.” Deputies determined he “couldn’t walk without help from deputies and refused to enter a patrol vehicle, reports say,” and took him to medical care before transport to jail.

“Parkinson was taken to Fishermen’s Community Hospital where he continued to yell and attempted to head-butt a deputy, reports say.” The report adds that Parkinson “continued to make threats en route to jail, where he allegedly punched and kicked at sheriff’s office members.” Local coverage lists both felony and misdemeanor allegations tied to the encounter. “Donald Philip Parkinson faces felony and misdemeanor counts for battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, disorderly intoxication and simple assault,” the story states.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is the reporting agency cited in the available accounts. The public record excerpts provided do not include booking information, bond amounts, a court date, or statements from Parkinson, his counsel, or Brass Monkey management. Details on any injuries to deputies or the medical condition of Parkinson beyond the descriptions above were not included in the reports reviewed.

The incident has local significance because it occurred on a high-traffic segment of U.S. 1 near Sombrero Beach Road and involved a bar where deputies have responded to other disturbances. In a separate, unrelated incident at the Brass Monkey on Sept. 7, 2025, deputies said a different patron, identified as 30-year-old Zachary Thomas McDaniel Cappetta, was arrested after resisting and kicking a deputy, demonstrating that law enforcement responses at that location have recurred. Those events are distinct in date, suspect and allegations and should not be conflated.

For Monroe County residents and policymakers, the episode underscores recurring challenges at late-night establishments: managing trespass and intoxication, coordinating medical evaluation with law enforcement, and documenting use-of-force or injury outcomes. Transparency from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and timely access to booking and charging documents will be necessary to clarify the formal counts and next steps in the case.

The sheriff’s office and court records will provide the next concrete updates on charges, bond and scheduled hearings. Local officials and business managers may face pressure to review trespass and security practices as the community awaits formal filing and any public statements from deputies or the defendant.