A Florida man was taken into custody for failing to appear in court after he was accused of using a hammer to thrash a shark in a videotaped attack.
During a hearing in Hillsborough County Court, Assistant State Attorney Aaron Hubbard dismissed the two aggravated animal cruelty charges brought against Spencer Heintz, 23, due to a lack of evidence.
Florida Anglers Charged After Viral Video
Heintz, Michael Wenzel, 21, and Robert Lee Benac, 28, were charged in December by the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in relation to a viral video that showed the men pointing and laughing while dragging a blacktip shark behind a speeding boat.
After the anglers uploaded the video to well-known sport fisherman Mark ‘The Shark’ Quartiano, who posted it to his Instagram account with the hashtags #sowrong and #notcool, the commission started looking into the event.
As the video went viral, concerned residents and animal activists started their own hunt to find the men. Gov. Rick Scott was alerted to the recording and requested in a letter to the agency that regulations be reviewed to ensure such barbaric behaviors are severely forbidden.
Upon their arraignment in January, all three of the guys entered not-guilty pleas.
According to a video aired by WTSP 10 News, Paul Sisco, Heintz’s attorney, told reporters that his client will testify as a witness if required.
Nicholas Easterling, a 24-year-old man who was also on the boat that day, was not charged because he assisted the investigation and provided information.
The FWC assembled the sequence of events prior to the shark dragging using a number of videos, pictures, and text messages that were collected.
Read more: Nurse Pleads Guilty To Stealing And Tampering With 450 Vials Of Fentanyl In Florida
Unnecessary and Cruel Shark Treatment
The arrest complaint states that Wenzel shot the shark with a handgun near its gills after Benac had legally captured it with a hook and line and hauled it to the boat.
According to the affidavit, Wenzel shot the shark three more times before hauling it aboard, tying a rope to its tail, and pulling it quickly behind the boat. Investigators claim that Wenzel can be heard saying, “I guess it’s dead,” towards the conclusion of another, longer tape of the incident.
The shark’s movements revealed it was alive while being dragged, according to scientists with the FWC, Mote Marine Research, and Florida Atlantic University who watched the film.
The FWC ruled that the men brutally and needlessly dragged the shark in light of the anglers’ extensive history of fishing, which includes participation in tournaments and commercial fishing.
Due to their use of a handgun and a speargun on two additional sharks, Wenzel and Benac are also each facing a misdemeanor charge of taking animals illegally.
FWC laws forbid the use of weapons or explosives while catching sharks in state waters and only permit the use of hook and lines.
The state attorney’s office scheduled depositions of Wenzel, Benac, and shark researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Mote Marine Lab for today as the case against the two men proceeds. Wenzel and Benac’s subsequent hearing is scheduled for June.
Read more: NYPD Captain Accused Of Sending Explicit Photos And Soliciting Panties From Female Detective
