On May 17, a fisherman and a surfer got into an argument that lead to the fisherman pulling a gun on a Florida beach. According to reports, the fisherman, who is a 65-year-old man, brandished his weapon after the surfer allegedly threw a punch at him over fishing lines in the lineup.
Surfers and fishermen have been known to argue over hooks and lines in the water. Since waves break in the ocean and fish live in it, the two pastimes can be at odds with each other.
The altercation occurred just south of the Jacksonville Beach Pier. Judging from the footage, which was obtained by News4JAX through a public records request, the day looked like any other day at the beach. A surfer exited the water, presumably to confront the fisherman. After a few seconds, the fisherman appeared to pull his weapon, which caused the surfer to drop his surfboard, raise his hands, and back away quickly.
“My first reaction was ‘wow,’ you know, just this is the day and time that we’re in, you know, where you’re seeing more and more confrontations and confrontations result to a firearm being pulled out,” said News4JAX crime and safety analyst Lakesha Burton. “I think what’s key is de-escalation. I think that’s essential. Practicing de-escalation skills really helps to defuse and can prevent potential violence.”
After the surfer left, he told lifeguards what had happened. They called the Jacksonville Beach police, who arrived on scene and handcuffed the fisherman. The fisherman claimed the surfer had punched him. When they reviewed the footage, police couldn’t say for sure whether a punch was actually thrown. Since the surfer wasn’t there to give his side of the story, the fisherman was released and continued to fish. The public records request revealed that he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, so no charges have been filed.
Florida can be a hell of a place, can’t it?
