Tourist Arrested After Allegedly Biting Off Part Of Friend's Ear During Hotel Brawl

A 45-year-old Florida man was arrested Thursday after allegedly biting off part of his friend's ear during a brawl at a Stock Island hotel, police said.

James Lenn Williams, of Port St. Lucie, was arrested on charges of aggravated battery, battery by strangulation and two additional counts of battery following the 2:30 a.m. incident at the Oceans Edge Resort & Marina in Key West, Florida, according to a statement from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Williams was on vacation at the hotel with three friends – a man and two women – when they got into a fight while returning to the hotel, the report said.

The unnamed male tourist told police that one of the women passed out and was placed in a maintenance wheel barrel by Williams. He allegedly dumped beer on the unnamed woman and insulted her as he was pushing her back to a hotel room, authorities said.

The 28-year-old male tourist then intervened and told Williams that he was being disrespectful.

However, Williams allegedly "became combative" and shoved one of the women to the ground, the statement said. He allegedly did the same to the other woman when she got in between him and the other man.

The male tourist alleged that when he intervened once more, Williams pushed him down, choked him and bit a part of his ear off.

“Williams then pushed the male victim to the ground and began choking him,” the sheriff’s office said. “The male victim stated that Williams bit part of his ear off while others were trying to separate them.”

The male tourist was missing an ear and still bleeding when police and paramedics arrived, but no life-threatening injuries were reported, according to the statement.

The male victim's version of events was corroborated by the two female victims and other unnamed witnesses, the sheriff's office stated.

Williams had fled the scene but was found on the property shortly after the incident near the hotel rooms with the help of a Key West Police K9 unit.

Williams declined to speak to deputies after he was found and was immediately taken to jail.