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Police officer accused of punching man at New Smyrna Beach restaurant

Edgewater police Officer Naci Tuzcuoglu arrested on charge of battery

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – An off-duty Edgewater police officer was arrested Sunday in New Smyrna Beach on allegations that he punched a man outside a restaurant, according to authorities.

New Smyrna Beach police said Naci Tuzcuoglu was taken into custody after the incident, which happened at Peanuts Restaurant & Lodge at 421 Flagler Avenue.

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According to a police report, witnesses said the incident began inside the bar when Tuzcuoglu made advances on a woman, who told him she was married and not interested in him.

The woman then went outside and was talking to her husband when Tuzcuoglu came up to them, the report said. Tuzcuoglu punched the man in the face and he fell onto a flower pot, police said.

The victim suffered a small cut on his left eye and nose but refused medical treatment, the police report stated.

Tuzcuoglu, who previously worked for the Daytona Beach Police Department, was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor battery. He was later released from jail on bond.

The Edgewater Police Department said Tuzcuoglu has been suspended and an internal investigation has been launched.