Florida man bites off friend’s ear in fight over woman in wheelbarrow, police say

Accused faces multiple counts of battery

James Lenn Williams (Monroe County Sheriff’s Office)

A Florida man is accused of biting off part of a man’s ear during a fight over a mutual friend he was pushing in a wheelbarrow.

The group of friends were on vacation in the Florida Keys when authorities say a woman passed out at a marina in the early hours of Thursday morning.

James Lenn Williams, 45, is said to have put the woman in a wheelbarrow to push her back to their Stock Island hotel, the Oceans Edge Resort & Marina.

Witnesses told investigators that Mr Wiliams dumped beer on the woman and insulted her before another friend intervened and told him he was being disrespectful, according to CBS Miami.

After he became combative with the man another two female friends jumped in to calm Mr Williams down, police allege, and in the ensuing scuffle, the 28-year-old victim was choked and had part of his ear bitten off as others tried to separate them both. One woman was allegedly shoved to the ground.

Monroe Sheriff’s Office and paramedics that arrived on the scene treated the victim for a partially missing ear.

Mr Williams was arrested at the hotel and faces charges of aggravated battery, battery by strangulation and battery.