Man accused of beating protected shark with hammer arrested after blowing off summons

A man from Florida was arrested after being caught on camera attacking a lemon shark with a hammer at Bicentennial Beach Park in Indian Harbor Beach on December 20th.

Brian Waddill, 33, caught the shark, which is from a protected species, while fishing. Instead of returning the shark unharmed, Waddill proceeded to strike the animal multiple times with the hammer before tossing it back into the water.

Witnesses were able to identify Waddill as the shark's attacker. He has been charged with two misdemeanors: failure to return a prohibited species unharmed and a violation against the harvest, landing, or sale of sharks.

Although shark fishing is legal in Florida, there are regulations on the type of sharks that can be caught and taken out of the ocean.

Lemon sharks are among the 28 protected species in the state of Florida. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s investigative report on the incident, Waddill struck the shark several times before flipping it on its side and using the backside of the hammer to rip out its gills. Witnesses stated that Waddill continued to hit the shark until he realized people were watching him. He then attempted to return the shark to the water even after it appeared to have died. The shark's body was eventually carried away from the beach by the waves, and its carcass has not been located.

Waddill was issued a court summons to be arraigned on charges but failed to appear, resulting in a warrant for his arrest. He was held on a $500 bond but has since been released, according to online reports.

Lemon sharks can reach up to 10 feet in length and up to 551 pounds, and can live up to 27 years, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

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