ORLANDO, Fla. – A man is now facing criminal charges, accused of beating a shark with a hammer in Indian Harbour Beach last December.
The state attorney’s office filed formal charges against Brian Waddill, 33, last week.
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Waddill is facing a charge of violating restrictions on possession of prohibited species, failure to return it unharmed, and a charge of violating the prohibition against harvesting of sharks, which are second-degree misdemeanors.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Indian Harbour Beach police say Waddill caught a lemon shark on Dec. 20 at Bicentennial Beach Park.
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Video shows a man, presumed to be Waddill, hitting the shark in the head with a hammer repeatedly. The shark was then dragged back into the ocean.
It’s not known yet what punishment the charges against Waddill will carry.
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