The official report would make any cop’s chest swell with pride:

Police say Daniel J. Daley, 84, of Orlando was transported to Florida Hospital Orlando after he “struck” an officer and the officer subdued him outside the Ivanhoe Grocery at 1820 North Orange Avenue about 11 p.m.

Struck an officer?  Well then, it’s a good thing he was subdued.  But wait, he was 84 years old?  84?  That’s a pretty old guy to go around striking cops.  The Palm Beach Post story provides a bit more color, although nowhere does it tell us the name of our hero cop.

Daley’s son, Greg Daley, said the World War II veteran was in critical condition with a broken neck. Two witnesses said the officer threw the man to the ground after he touched the officer during the dispute.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Scott said. “He hip-checked the guy and slammed his head into the pavement. He [Daley] is too old for that.”

Nicole Butler, a bartender at The Caboose, said the officer “body-slammed” Daley to the ground after the veteran put his hands on the officer’s shoulders.

There’s a basic rule that you don’t touch a cop.  Not a nice, little tap.  Not a kindly old hand on the shoulder. Just don’t touch, because cops are trained to respond to a touch, any touch, with prejudice.  

Palm Beach County has more than its share of World War II vets.  Good weather and gated communities seem to appeal to them.  And World War II vets tend to be kinda old.  And they tend to take some liberties that were more common years ago than they are today.  One of them is putting a hand on a young man, a touch to the elbow or perhaps a hand on the shoulders.  It’s a grandfatherly thing to do.  It may have something to do with many of them being grandfathers.  Even great grandfathers.  They’re that old.

As it turns out, the problem developed because of a parking dispute, with Daniel Daley parking across the street from the Caboose, the bar where he was having a drink or three.  Some old guys enjoy getting out on the town.  When he saw his car being towed, Daley tried to stop it and cops were called.  Daley had no priors despite 84 years of opportunity,  

The owner of Ivanhoe’s Grocery, the store across the street, didn’t like bar patrons parking in front of her store.  It was bad for business.  Of course, having an 84 year old WWII vet with a broken neck over a parking spot isn’t good for business either.  As for Daley, there’s a pretty good chance he won’t survive.  Old men don’t seem to heal nearly as well as the young.

But he touched a cop, and got what’s coming to him.  Let’s call this the Pugnacious Octogenarian Rule, just in case they want to use it for future police training.  A proud moment in law enforcement, to be sure.