Overview
- A woman filed a battery report accusing Mayor Diezel Depew of striking her with his campaign sign outside a public library being used for early voting.
- New Smyrna Beach police who responded to the scene noted their officer could not confirm that the woman had been struck, though the complaint was recorded.
- The State Attorney's Office reviewed the police referral and decided not to file criminal charges in connection with the complaint.
- Depew denies the allegation and says the complaint is a politically motivated false report, and the alleged victim has expressed disappointment in the prosecutor's decision.
- The episode unfolds as Depew seeks re-election and follows earlier controversies in his term, keeping the dispute a live political issue for voters.