- October 10, 2026
A 40-year-old Daytona Beach man is facing attempted murder and aggravated battery charges after police report he assaulted an elderly Ormond Beach couple and shot a police officer in the leg.
"The charges filed are serious ones, and the department will give the state attorney's office everything it needs to see this case through," Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said during a news conference on Monday, Sept. 21.
Godfrey reported that the victims, a 79-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman, were performing a routine check of Daytona College at 425 S. Nova Road around 4:34 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, when they noticed evidence of trespassing — including beer, an unknown wallet and an ID. The victims, whose identities were not released by OBPD out of respect for the family, called 911 at around 6:44 p.m. to have the trespassers removed after receiving a burglary alarm notification.
It was then that the suspect, Michael Hightower, is believed to have exited the building and crashed into their vehicle with his own. He also assaulted the couple, striking and kicking them multiple times, before fleeing the scene on foot.
Hightower is believed to be an employee of the janitorial company that cleans Daytona State, Godfrey reported.
Police and medical personnel arrived at the scene at 6:50 p.m. and found both victims in critical condition. They were transported to the hospital.
Hightower was found at about 7:37 p.m. in the 300 block of Clyde Morris Boulevard and was taken into police custody. After being interviewed by police, he was transported to AdventHealth Daytona Beach for medical clearance, as Hightower had crashed his car into the victims' vehicle and was subdued with a taser while he attempted to flee from law enforcement.
Ormond Beach Police Officer Austin Long was among the officers guarding Hightower at the hospital. A struggle ensued around 3:20 a.m. as Hightower was going through an MRI and officers tried to restrain him, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said at the news conference.
During the physical altercation, Hightower was able to get a hold of Long's firearm and shoot him in the leg.
"As horrific as this incident was, I'm just grateful that it was not a lot worse, and I'm grateful that the suspect's in custody and this officer should make a full recovery," Young said.
Young added that the Daytona Beach Police Department will conduct a "full review" of the incident, following statements made by his officers concerning the treatment they received by AdventHealth's medical staff and ER doctor on duty.
"If what I'm told is true, I will be going to the higher-ups at AdventHospital because there's no way — we should all be on the same team, and all of our jobs are extremely important," Young said. "At the end of the day, we're both out here trying to save lives. It's their role to save lives in the hospital. It's our role to save lives both in the hospital and out in the community."
Long, a K-9 officer, has been with OBPD for eight years. He remains in the hospital.
"He's in good spirits," Godfrey said. "His family was with him when we last saw and left him. He's in a little bit of pain but we expect a full recovery."
Hightower has been charged with two counts of attempted felony murder and one count of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer. He was recently arrested in August for an April 1 hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian.
"I want to speak for a moment about how the department feels today because I know our community feels it too," Godfrey said. "Our hearts are heavy. A husband and wife, 79- and 74-years-old, did everything right and were still hurt terribly. One of our officers was just doing his job and he was shot. Ormond Beach is a close community, and when two of our neighbors are hurt like this, we all feel it."
