Authorities claim a Florida man partially bit part of his friend’s ear off during a fight at a Key West hotel Thursday morning.
James Lenn Williams, a 45-year-old man from Port St. Lucie, Florida, was on vacation and staying at the Key West hotel with three friends — another man and two women — according to a statement posted on Facebook by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Eventually, the group got into a fight that resulted in the 28-year-old male getting part of his ear bitten off, the sheriff’s office said.
At around 2:30 a.m., the two men got into a fight after one of the women passed out and Williams decided to put her into a maintenance wheelbarrow to transport her to her room, the other man told authorities. However, while he wheeled the woman to her room, he began hurling insults at her and pouring beer on her, the group went on to tell the sheriff.
William’s actions infuriated the other man in the group, who told Williams he was being disrespectful, the sheriff’s office statement noted. Williams got aggressive towards the other man in the group while the three other individuals attempted to calm him down, but Williams pushed the two women to the ground.
“Williams then pushed the male victim to the ground and began choking him,” according to the sheriff’s office. “The male victim stated that Williams bit part of his ear off while others were trying to separate them.”
Florida man accused of biting off chunk of his friend’s ear in wild hotel fight 👂
The victim told the biter to stop dumping beer on an unconscious woman being pushed in a wheelbarrowhttps://t.co/NCdbJAD7G0
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) August 5, 2021
When Deputy Nicholas Galbo arrived at the scene, part of the 28-year-old man’s ear was “missing and still bleeding,” and he was being treated by paramedics, according to the sheriff’s office. None of the injuries sustained in the brawl were life threatening, they added. (RELATED: Nurse And Disney World Employees Arrested In Child Sex Sting Operation)
Williams fled the scene on foot, but was later found on the hotel property.
“Williams declined to speak to Deputy Galbo. Williams was taken to jail,” authorities said.
Williams has been charged with aggravated battery, battery by strangulation, and two additional counts of battery, the sheriff’s office noted.