The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
There was no winner when two men got into a violent fight on a Florida beach during spring break, as one of them ended up with a felony charge and the other had his ear bitten off.
According to reports, late in the afternoon on St. Patrick’s Day, beachgoers, some of whom were relaxing while on spring break, were enjoying the coastline at Fort Myers Beach when what was described as a brutal fight between two men broke out. The probable cause statement indicated that an 18-year-old local man was on the beach when he reportedly began making racial comments toward a black individual with whom he was acquainted when they walked by with some friends. In addition to the alleged verbal attack, the man also reportedly struck him after approaching him from behind and then shoved him down onto the sand. They began struggling on the ground, and things quickly intensified.
People in the area where the fight broke out noticed the unrest, and one of them began recording the incident. When the video was later reviewed by the authorities, it was reported that the suspect could be seen shoving the black man’s face in the sand before he punched him in the head. Afterward, he allegedly leaned in and bit the man’s ear so aggressively that it was severed from his head.