Florida man arrested beating protected species of shark with a hammer attack that caught on camera
Florida man, 33, arrested for beating protected shark species with hammer during attack caught on camera
- A Florida man accused of hitting a shark with a hammer and throwing it back into the ocean has been arrested for failing to respond to a court summons
- Brian Waddill is being held on $500 bail and faces two charges for failing to return a banned species unscathed
- Waddill, 33, allegedly attacked a lemon shark while fishing at Bicentennial Beach Park in Indian Harbor Beach; the attack was captured on security video
A Florida man has been arrested for failing to respond to a subpoena after he was caught on surveillance video attacking a lemon shark with a hammer, authorities said.
After reeling in the shark at Bicentennial Beach Park in Indian Harbor Beach, 33-year-old Brian Waddill repeatedly hit the fish with a hammer before tossing it back into the water in December 2022.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, witnesses identified Waddill as the attacker and the entire incident was caught on camera.
The man can be seen dragging the shark out of the water with a hammer.
In what seems like a particularly painful move, the tool appears to be caught in the shark’s gills, which it then uses as leverage to drag the fish up the shoreline.
A Florida man accused of hitting a shark with a hammer
Brian Waddill allegedly hit the fish repeatedly with a hammer before throwing it back into the water in December 2022
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, witnesses identified Waddill as the attacker and the entire incident was caught on camera.
At another point, the man can be seen using a knife on the animal, cutting it across the shark’s skin, while being watched by other beachgoers standing nearby.
It then drags the fish back into the open water by its tail before throwing it into the surf.
The shark seems to be in bad shape at this point.
Witnesses told the FWC investigator that Waddill hit the shark several times with a hammer, then flipped it on its side and used the back of the hammer to rip out the shark’s gills.
Witnesses identified Waddill as the alleged attacker and the entire incident was caught on camera
The man can be seen dragging the shark back into the water by its tail
He then drags the fish back into the water by its tail before throwing it into the surf. The shark seems to be in bad shape at this point
He then continued to hit the shark until he realized people were watching him, a witness said, according to the report seen by Fox 35.
The suspect faces two felony charges: failure to return a prohibited species unscathed and violating rules regarding harvesting, landing or selling sharks.
The lemon shark is one of 28 protected shark species in Florida and there are rules and regulations in place depending on where individuals fish.
Waddill was arrested by Indian Port Police on Friday for not responding to the summons and is currently being held on $500 bond.
Online records show that Waddill has a sport fishing license in the Sunshine State.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says they take incidents of animal cruelty seriously, especially when rules created to protect endangered species are broken.
The lemon shark is one of 28 protected shark species in Florida and there are rules and regulations in place depending on where individuals fish.