BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A West Melbourne man accused of beating a shark with a hammer last year has been arrested.
Court and jail documents show Brian Zachary Waddill, 33, was arrested Friday on two counts of violating FWC rules regarding captive wildlife.
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.
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.
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Lemon sharks are one of the 28 protected shark species in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The state attorney’s office filed formal charges against Waddill in February.
The charges are considered misdemeanors. Waddill was released on recognizance later Friday afternoon.
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