Florida man accused of beating protected shark with hammer arrested after blowing off summons: police

A Florida man was caught on digital camera attacking a shark with a hammer — then arrested when he allegedly blew off a courtroom summons he acquired for the disturbing incident, authorities stated. 

Brian Waddill, 33, caught the lemon shark whereas fishing at Bicentennial Seashore Park in Indian Harbor Seashore on Dec. 20, authorities stated.

The shark is from a protected species, however as an alternative of letting it go, Waddill bizarrely took out a hammer and began bashing the beast with it earlier than tossing the animal again within the water, Fox 35 reported, citing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee’s investigative report on the incident.

The brutal episode was caught on surveillance video, and witnesses have been later capable of determine Waddill because the shark’s attacker.

Waddill struck the shark a number of occasions earlier than flipping it on its facet and used the bottom of the hammer to tear the shark’s gills out, witnesses informed the Fish and Wildlife Conservation investigator.

He faces two misdemeanor costs, together with failure to return a prohibited species unhurt and a violation in opposition to the harvest, touchdown, or sale of sharks.

Whereas shark fishing is authorized in Florida, there are rules on the kind of sharks that may be caught and brought out of the ocean.

Lemon sharks are among the many 28 protected sharks within the state of Florida, in line with Fishing and Wildlife Conservation.

Waddill allegedly continued to hit the shark till he realized folks have been watching him, one witness stated, in line with the report.

He then appeared to try to return the shark to the water even after it appeared to have died.

The shark’s physique was finally carried away from the seaside by the waves, a witness stated.

The shark’s carcass has not been positioned.

Waddill was issued a courtroom summons to be arraigned on costs, however the summons was returned so a warrant for his arrest was issued.

He was held on a $500 bond however has since been launched, in line with on-line studies.

Lemon sharks can attain as much as 10 ft in size and as much as 551 kilos, in line with the Florida Museum of Pure Historical past, which says the animals can dwell as much as 27 years.