A tourist visiting Key West, Florida allegedly bit off part of his friend’s ear during an altercation at a hotel early Thursday morning.
James Lenn Williams, 45, of Port St. Lucie, is facing charges of aggravated battery, battery by strangulation, and two additional counts of battery, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Nicholas Galbo responding to a reported altercation at the Oceans Edge Resort & Marina just after 2:30 a.m. met with a 28-year-old man who had part of his ear missing and was bleeding, the sheriff’s office said.
The victim reportedly told Galbo that everyone involved in the altercation were friends and on vacation.
One of the women in the group had passed out and Williams placed her in a maintenance wheel barrel and was pushing her back to a hotel room while dumping beer on her and insulting her, the victim added.
The victim intervened and told Williams to stop being disrespectful but Williams then became combative toward the victim, the sheriff’s office said.
The victim and two other woman attempted to calm Williams down but he allegedly shoved one of the women to the ground.
The victim intervened again and the other woman got between the two men.
Williams allegedly pushed her to the ground as well before pushing the victim to the ground.
He then choked the victim before biting a part of his ear off while others tried to separate them, the sheriff’s office said.
Eventually, the men were separated and Williams allegedly left on foot.
The two female victims and other witnesses corroborated the male victim’s version of events, according to the sheriff’s office.
Additional deputies and a Key West police K-9 unit arrived and located Williams near the hotel rooms.
He allegedly declined to speak with Galbo and was taken to jail.
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