Inglis man sentenced to 4 years for assaulting officer; second man's case closed after he dies of drug ovedose
LCSO mugshot of Beam (L) and the deceased Mr. Maclin (R).
On April 19, 2023 Aaron Mosses Beam, IV, of Inglis and Dunnellon, Florida, was sentenced to four years (48 months) with the Florida Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in Levy County Circuit Court to burglary of an occupied conveyance, resisting arrest with violence and two counts of battery of a law enforcement officer. Beam has been in custody at the Levy County Detention Bureau in Bronson, Florida, since his arrest in Inglis, Florida on January 8, 2023.
Just before midnight on January 8, LCSO Deputy Nelson Macias was on patrol in Inglis, and as he drove past Our Pub, located at 253 Highway 40 West, he witnessed what appeared to be a disturbance in the parking lot. Deputy Macias drove into the bar's parking lot and saw two men yelling at each other - Aaron Beam and 33 year-old Leon Rhea Maclin of Inglis.
Deputy Macias spoke to the two men, to find out what was going on, and he was confronted by Mr. Beam, who cursed him and threatened to beat him up and kill his family. Beam took a fighting stance, walked to the driver's window of the deputy's patrol car, placed his hand inside the patrol vehicle with his finger pointed at Deputy Macias' face, and again threatened to beat him up.
The other man involved in the parking lot argument with Beam, Leon Maclin, also aggressively approached Deputy Macias, who was still seated in the driver's seat of his patrol car. Deputy Macias used his car door to push Beam away and then exited his vehicle. Deputy Macias informed Beam that he was under arrest and instructed him to place his hands behind his back. Instead of following Deputy Macias' instructions, Beam threw a punch at the deputy that did not connect, and Deputy Macias used the momentum from Beam's swing to take him to the ground and pin him down. Deputy Macias held Beam on the ground for approximately 20 minutes, because he was unable to call for assistance due to his radio being damaged during the physical altercation.
Patrons from inside the bar came outside and surrounded Deputy Macias as he held Beam to the ground. According to LCSO Lt. Scott Tummond, most of the onlookers offered no assistance, as they were too busy videoing the incident with their phones and making anti-police statements. Fortunately, one patron phoned 911 to alert Levy County Communications that Deputy Macias needed help, and additional law enforcement units from both Levy County and Citrus County arrived to assist him.
Beam was taken into custody, charged with burglary with assault or battery, battery of a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, threatening a public servant or a family member of a public servant, disorderly intoxication in a public place causing a disturbance, and simple assault of a law enforcement officer.
Leon Maclin was also arrested, charged with simple assault of a law enforcement officer, disorderly intoxication in a public place causing a disturbance, and resisting or obstructing a law endorcement officer without violence. Leon Maclin’s case was closed after he was found deceased from an apparent drug overdose in a camper trailer, located in Inglis, on March 22, 2023.