Families and children in Florida watched horrified as several individuals in Polk County participated in a wild daylight brawl that left one person unconscious and floating face down in the water of the nearby lake.
Authorities reported that the incident occurred at Lake Winterset, where many young kids were spending time with their families, trying to relax on the lakeside. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said on Tuesday that they arrested seven men and a 17-year-old boy who are believed to have been involved in the brawl.
Florida Lake Brawl
The incident was captured on camera and shared online, which shows one of the men being struck twice, causing him to fall to the ground. After that person was left unconscious, the other men started swinging at each other.
The footage shows the individuals involved punching several people as one woman in a pink bikini tries to perform CPR on the man who fell unconscious on the ground. Then, the chaos paused as one of the taller men, who was wearing a giant gold chain, tried to hold back another individual who was thrashing his arms, according to the New York Post.
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These two men later tripped over a ledge and fell into the lake before the individual who threw the first punch dove into the water and started to beat the other man. The target was also left unconscious and was seen face down in the water.
The sheriff's office identified the individuals who were arrested as Mason Land, Nate Land, Payton Ely, Timothy Gooding, Richard Carden, Garrett Ore, Garrett Hiltabidel, and the unidentified 17-year-old. They have all been charged with rioting, affray, trespassing, and disorderly conduct.
Arresting the Individuals Involved
Deputies also said that the brawl occurred on private property, which was marked with "No Trespassing" signs and bearing sheriff's office markings. It seems like all of the suspects entered the area without permission, Fox35 Orlando reported.
Judd noted that the department will not tolerate violent disturbances, saying that thanks to video evidence and witness cooperation, they were able to identify the people responsible for the incident.
During an Aug. 12 news conference, Judd said that the Sheriff's Office has issued repeated warnings and education efforts on how people should act along the lake where the fight happened.
Property owners, including one along McLean Point Court, said that on top of violent behavior, they have documented incidents such as sexual activity in public, defecating in bushes, loud music, and excessive drinking in their backyards, as per The Ledger.
