RELEASED Offender Slashes Boy’s THROAT

A registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal record slashed a 13-year-old boy’s neck in a random Valentine’s Day attack on the Daytona Beach Boardwalk—just four days after prosecutors dropped previous violent assault charges and released him from jail.

Story Snapshot

Sullivan Clarke survived a random neck-slashing attack by one millimeter, doctors confirming the blade narrowly missed his windpipe and major arteries.
Suspect Jermaine Lynn Long, 44, a registered sex offender, was released from jail four days before the attack after prosecutors dropped January assault charges involving knives and a pole.
Long committed at least three violent incidents on February 14 alone, including a sledgehammer assault hours before attacking Sullivan—yet officers issued only trespass warnings instead of arresting him.
Daytona Beach Police are now reviewing why officers failed to arrest Long earlier that day, while the State Attorney’s Office re-examines the dismissed January case.

Criminal Justice System Failures Enabled Valentine’s Day Attack

Jermaine Lynn Long was arrested in January 2026 for allegedly attempting to hurt two men with a knife and hitting them with a pole. Prosecutors dropped these charges, releasing Long from jail on February 10—just four days before he slashed Sullivan Clarke’s neck near the Slingshot ride on the Daytona Beach Boardwalk. Long is a registered sex offender described by Daytona Beach Police Director of Operations Bill Rhodes as “well known to officers” with “a pretty long criminal history mostly all in Daytona Beach.” The decision to drop charges against a repeat violent offender raises serious questions about prosecutorial discretion and public safety priorities.

Three Violent Incidents in One Day Go Unpunished

Police records reveal a troubling pattern of escalation on February 14. Long was trespassed from a South Hollywood Avenue location around 8 a.m. At approximately 11:30 a.m., officers responded to a 7-Eleven near the Boardwalk where Long allegedly chased a man and hit him with a sledgehammer. Despite responding to this violent assault, officers spoke with both Long and the victim but made no arrest, issuing only another trespass warning. Roughly ten hours later, Long randomly attacked 13-year-old Sullivan Clarke, slashing his neck as the boy walked with his parents. This sequence demonstrates catastrophic failures in law enforcement response and offender management.

Miraculous Survival by One Millimeter Margin

Medical professionals determined that the blade missed Sullivan’s windpipe and major arteries by just one millimeter. Sullivan survived because he turned his head at the precise moment while looking at the Slingshot ride, causing the blade to strike the side of his neck rather than critical structures. His father Jerod observed the wound was “gashed wide open” immediately after the attack. Sullivan’s mother Lori initially thought the man was stealing her son’s phone, only realizing the severity when she saw blood. The family had spent the day at Daytona International Speedway and was returning to their hotel when the attack occurred. Sullivan is now recovering at home, grateful for what he recognizes as a life-saving coincidence.

Police Promise Reviews and Increased Presence

Following intense scrutiny over the sledgehammer incident response, Daytona Beach Police announced the department is reviewing officers’ initial investigations to determine why no arrest was made earlier that day. Director Rhodes acknowledged the failure and announced plans to increase police presence around the Boardwalk ahead of major events like Bike Week. The department also plans to open a new satellite office in a nearby hotel to boost safety in the area. The State Attorney’s Office is reviewing the January case dismissal. Long remains in custody facing aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charges, with prosecutors pushing to keep him detained before trial. Long has refused to cooperate with investigators, leaving no clear motive established for the random attack.

This case exemplifies systemic breakdowns in criminal justice that endanger law-abiding citizens and families. A violent repeat offender with a sex offense record was released despite pending assault charges, then given multiple opportunities to harm others before finally attacking a child in front of his parents. The failure to arrest Long for the sledgehammer assault—despite officers responding to the scene—represents either inadequate training, poor judgment, or policies that prioritize offender leniency over public safety. Families visiting Florida’s tourist destinations deserve protection from known violent criminals, not bureaucratic excuses after preventable tragedies. The constitutional duty of government is to protect citizens’ rights to life and safety, a responsibility clearly abandoned in this case until a child nearly died.