A Florida resident was apprehended this week following an altercation with an Amazon delivery driver, according to local law enforcement. Dana Hilliker, 37, is facing charges of burglary with assault or battery, as reported by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred on Sunday near a home on North West Gainesville Road in Ocala, a mid-sized city in central Florida, approximately 40 miles south of Gainesville.
The dispute reportedly began when Hilliker, who was riding his motorcycle with his son, became upset with the speed at which the Amazon driver was traveling through his neighborhood. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by a local CBS affiliate in Orlando, Hilliker attempted to signal the driver to slow down. However, the driver continued to the back of the property to deliver a package.
The situation escalated when the driver did not heed Hilliker’s calls to stop. Hilliker allegedly jumped in front of the van, waving his arms. He then reportedly jumped onto the van, grabbing the driver’s side door, and subsequently the driver’s shirt. The driver alleges that Hilliker scratched his arms and legs, and he had to punch Hilliker multiple times to free himself.
Hilliker, however, tells a different story. He claims that the van hit him, prompting him to grab onto the vehicle’s mirror. He alleges that the driver hit him multiple times in the face and arms in an attempt to remove him from the side of the vehicle. Hilliker’s wife took photos of the incident, but according to deputies, the photos show Hilliker’s arms inside the vehicle, contradicting his claim that he was holding onto the mirror.
In body camera footage obtained by a local news station, a sheriff’s deputy can be heard telling Hilliker that while he understands the driver may have been speeding, the driver had a right to be there delivering packages. The deputy also told Hilliker that he could not jump out in front of a moving car or jump onto the driver’s window.
According to Marion County court records, Hilliker was arrested on Tuesday and posted bond quickly. He is scheduled to appear in court next month.