- April 9, 2026
A Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputy who was arrested by Ormond Beach Police in December on fleeing and eluding charges — which were dismissed within a week of his arrest — is suing the City of Ormond Beach and the officer who arrested him.
Ardit Coma filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida on Wednesday, April 8. The lawsuit alleges that Coma was falsely accused and unlawfully arrested by Sgt. Caleb Braun, stating that "instead of conducting a routine traffic stop, Sergeant Braun, frustrated at the distance between Plaintiff’s vehicle and his own, decided to treat the situation as a felony stop for 'fleeing and eluding,' despite the absence of probable cause that Plaintiff had committed any infraction beyond the minor traffic infraction of speeding."
According to the Ormond Beach Police Department's report, Coma fled for 1.9 miles after Braun initiated a traffic stop for speeding in the 1400 block of North U.S. 1. OBPD states Coma was driving 88 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Coma, who began working with the FCSO in 2023, also drove around stop sticks deployed at North U.S. 1 and Pine Tree Drive, at which point a felony stop was conducted by OBPD and Volusia Sheriff's Office deputies. The Flagler deputy had been on his way to work and told police he had been unaware that a traffic stop had been initiated.
The Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney's office dismissed the charges against Coma on Dec. 9, with Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly saying in a press release that he had personally reviewed the arrest report and "was surprised that an arrest was made based on the lack of evidence showing he was intentionally trying to flee, while driving an agency vehicle."
In a statement released after the charges were dropped, Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey defended Braun and his department.
"The facts in the arrest report supported the Sergeant’s actions," Godfrey's statement read. "The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed, our Sergeant activated his emergency lights and siren, other motorists yielded, and the vehicle continued driving recklessly for a significant distance before stopping. Based on these observations, our Sergeant followed established policy, used appropriate methods to gain compliance, and executed the stop safely and professionally."
The lawsuit states that due to the arrest, Coma was "detained for a period of time, booked in jail, incurred costs, and suffered emotional distress, reputational harm, and economic losses."
Following his arrest, Coma was suspended without pay for two days and had the use of his agency vehicle suspended for 90 days due to unbecoming conduct. The FCSO announced on Dec. 12, three days after the charges were dropped, that an internal investigation found Coma violated two of the agency's Standards of Conduct policies.
According to the FCSO, Coma lost $851.48 in wages and benefits.
He is suing the city for compensatory damages including "loss of liberty; emotional distress, anxiety, humiliation, and mental anguish; reputational harm; lost wages and other economic losses; out-of-pocket expenses including bond and legal fees; and other compensatory damages in amounts to be determined at trial." Coma is also seeking punitive damages against Braun as an individual.
The Observer has reached out to the City of Ormond Beach for comment.
