A retired law enforcement officer who spent decades working in Polk County has found himself behind bars after deputies said he became enraged over a parking ticket.
Marcus Baker, 60, is accused of threatening a 75-year-old Volunteer Sheriff’s Service Officer (VSSO) at a Publix located off County Road 540A in Lakeland.
“We expect our law enforcement officers and retired law enforcement officers to set a proper example through their lawful and appropriate behavior,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “He set the wrong example. We set the right example by holding him accountable.”
The VSSO was conducting parking enforcement at the grocery store on Tuesday, Dec. 30 when he said he saw Baker’s vehicle parked in a marked fire lane. A “No parking” sign was also posted in the area.
Authorities said Baker had left his vehicle running with the emergency flashers on, despite several open parking spaces being available. He was inside the store for about 15 minutes before coming out and starting to load groceries into his vehicle.
The VSSO was preparing to write Baker a ticket when he came out. The volunteer then approached Baker and asked for his driver’s license. The sheriff’s office said all of its VSSOs wear agency-issued uniforms and are “clearly identifiable.”
Baker was reluctant to provide his driver’s license, initially refusing, and gave several different explanations for why he had parked in the fire lane, according to authorities.
Some of the reasons he gave included “not feeling well, having a sick dog, and having diabetes,” officials said. Baker also repeatedly emphasized that he was a former law enforcement official, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said Baker became agitated when the VSSO issued him a traffic citation and began making threats toward the volunteer, at one point saying that he would follow the VSSO home.
“He threatened to kick the 75-year-old Volunteer Sheriff’s Service Officer’s butt or used some other words, maybe,” Judd said.
The VSSO stated that he became fearful as he walked to his marked vehicle, and Baker followed behind, prompting the VSSO to call for a deputy for backup.
Baker then returned to his own car and drove past the VSSO in a slow, “intimidating manner,” briefly stopping behind the VSSO’s vehicle before making a U-turn and driving off, the sheriff’s office said.
A witness recalled seeing Baker being aggressive, and another woman told investigators she had seen the retired officer park in the fire lane multiple times before.
Detectives later spoke with Baker at his home. They said Baker admitted to being involved in a “verbal confrontation,” but denied making any threats. He was ultimately arrested and charged with corruption by threat to a public servant and assault on a law enforcement officer.
Baker worked as a deputy for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office from 1995 to 2005 before joining the Lakeland Police Department and retiring from law enforcement in 2021.
“He started at the sheriff’s office, then he went to the Lakeland Police Department, then he retired, and now he’s back at the sheriff’s office… in the county jail as an inmate,” Judd said.
To hear Sheriff Judd’s full remarks on this incident, watch the video here.
Tsk, tsk. Do as I say and not as I do. Throw the book at ’em.