The recent incident involving a 13-year-old boy who survived a near-fatal throat slashing on the Daytona Beach Boardwalk has sparked outrage from his family. The suspect, Jermaine Lynn Long, a registered sex offender, was released just four days before the random attack on Sullivan Clarke, despite having a lengthy criminal record.
Long, who has a history of violence, including an incident in January where he allegedly assaulted two men with a knife and an eight-foot pole, now faces pending charges for the attack on Sullivan and another man with a sledgehammer. Prosecutors initially declined to pursue the allegations from the January incident, leading to Long being on the streets and able to commit the violent attack on the teenager.
Sullivan was talking on the phone with his parents when Long came out of nowhere with a box cutter and slashed the side of his neck. Miraculously, the cut narrowly missed vital arteries, and doctors said that if it had been slightly deeper, the outcome could have been fatal. Sullivan received 13 stitches as a result of the attack.
Long has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and was granted a $50,000 surety bond. The family is calling for justice and expressing their shock at the system’s failure to keep a dangerous individual like Long off the streets.
Sullivan’s mother, Lori Clarke, emphasized the need for law enforcement to take action and ensure that Long is held accountable for his actions. The family has been dealing with the aftermath of the attack, with Sullivan experiencing nightmares and his younger brother traumatized by witnessing the violent incident.
The incident has shed light on the flaws in the justice system and the need for stricter measures to prevent individuals with violent tendencies from causing harm to innocent victims. The family is determined to seek justice for Sullivan and ensure that Long is put away for his heinous actions.
