An incident involving an Ohio couple escalated quickly on a cruise ship as they allegedly attacked a family after being asked to lower their voice. Authorities reported that Gannon Jacox, 29, and Brooklyn Hicks, 28, were detained when the ship docked at Port Canaveral, Florida. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey disclosed details about the arrests.
The confrontation began as Jacox and Hicks were reportedly engaged in a loud argument after consuming alcohol. When asked to quiet down, Hicks confronted one of the victims, while Jacox recorded the altercation, encouraging Hicks to proceed with an attack.
According to Sheriff Ivey, the couple forcefully entered the family’s cabin, which contained a 9-year-old child. Jacox struck all three victims during this physical altercation, while Hicks also attempted to throw punches.
“As a fight ensued, Jacox ends up hitting all 3 people (including the child) and Hicks was just swinging, hoping one would land,” Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated on social media.
Ivey mentioned that Jacox received an eye injury, possibly caused by one of the victims or unintentionally by Hicks during the barrage of punches. Fortunately, the victims did not suffer serious injuries.
Following the incident, Jacox was charged with burglary with battery and child abuse without great bodily harm. Hicks faced charges of burglary with battery and battery-touch/strike.
The specific cruise ship involved in this incident has not been identified. The port’s schedule showed four ships docking at Port Canaveral: Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure, and Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras and Carnival Freedom, though it remains unclear which ship Jacox and Hicks were on.
In response to the arrests, Sheriff Ivey delivered a warning to passengers on cruise ships regarding excessive drinking and disruptive behavior. “So what’s the moral of the story…if you can’t hold your liquor, then you definitely shouldn’t be out in public causing a scene like this and injuring random people including a child!!” Ivey remarked online.
The sheriff further advised individuals who could not maintain control to avoid causing public disturbances in Brevard County.