Florida man, 33, is arrested for beating protected species of shark with a hammer in attack caught on camera
- A man from Florida, accused of beating 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 a $500 bond and faces two misdemeanor charges of failing to return a prohibited species unharmed
- 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 court summons after he was captured 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 went on to repeatedly strike the fish 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 with the entire incident caught on camera.
The man can be seen dragging the shark out of the water with a hammer.
In what looks like a particularly painful move, the tool appears to be jammed inside the shark’s gills which he then uses as leverage to drag the fish across the shoreline.
A man from Florida, accused of beating a shark with a hammer
Brian Waddill is alleged to have repeatedly struck the fish 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 with the entire incident caught on camera.
At another point, the man can be seen using what appears to be a knife on the animal, slicing it across the shark’s skin, all the while being watched by another beachgoers standing close by.
He then drags the fish by its tail back out into the open water before tossing into the surf.
The shark appears to be in bad shape by 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 backside of the hammer to rip the shark’s gills out.
Witnesses identified Waddill as the alleged attacker with the entire incident caught on camera
The man can be seen dragging the shark by its tail back into the water
He then drags the fish by its tail back out into the water before tossing into the surf. The shark appears to be in bad shape by this point
He then continued to hit the shark until he realized people were watching him, a witness said, according to the report as seen by Fox 35.
The suspect faces two misdemeanor charges: failing to return a prohibited species unharmed and violating rules related to the harvest, landing, or sale of 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 are fishing.
Waddill was arrested by Indian Harbor police on Friday as a result of him not responding to the court summons and he is currently being held on a $500 bond.
Online records show that Waddill has a sport fishing license in the Sunshine State.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say they take incidents of animal cruelty seriously, particularly when rules that have been put in place to protect endangered and threatened 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 are fishing.
