PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida constitution captain whose indignant trade with a fisherman went viral has been ordered to not contact the alleged sufferer, based on court docket paperwork.
On April 1, Brock Horner, 40, of Port Charlotte confronted fisherman Gage Towles, 22, on the Gilcrist Bridge.
In accordance with a possible trigger affidavit from Punta Gorda police, Horner was confronting Towles over an alleged incident the place he mentioned Towles had cursed at him and referred to as him slurs on the morning of March 30.
Police mentioned Towles’ account of the occasions was that he and his buddy have been fishing beneath the bridge at round 5:30 a.m. that day when Horner practically struck his boat with the constitution vessel. Towles additionally mentioned one other boater was close by and was additionally near being hit by Horner, who was mentioned to be touring “at a excessive fee of pace.”
The near-collision led to the three fishermen shouting at Horner earlier than he rode off, the affidavit mentioned. Whereas Horner mentioned the 2 different boats didn’t have their navigation lights on, Towles mentioned he did and believed the opposite boater might have had his lights on, as effectively.
Towles and Horner encountered one another the next night, which was caught on Towles’ GoPro camera. Initially, the 2 exchanged jabs over the earlier incident.
“Bro, you possibly can’t come flying via the center of the f—— bridge,” Towles responded.
‘Bulls—-, sure I can!” Horner shouted again.
Towles tried to de-escalate at a number of factors, as proven by the video.
“I am fishing; bro, get out of right here!” the fisherman shouted.
Nonetheless, the tense argument escalated when Horner introduced his boat subsequent to Towles’ vessel, shortly after saying he is “the very best constitution captain you’ll ever meet!”
In accordance with police, whereas boarding the vessel, Horner grabbed Towles’ shirt and pulled on it whereas the fisherman shouted apologies at Horner.
“Whereas talking to Towles, I requested him if at any time he felt the defendant wished to struggle him and he suggested, ‘Sure,'” a Punta Gorda officer wrote within the affidavit. “Towles confirmed he additionally felt threatened and/or scared for his life and even thought-about leaping off his personal boat into the water to get away from the defendant.”
The incident ended with Towles bringing Horner again to his boat because the captain says, “Do it once more and watch what f——- occurs,” amongst different statements.
The affidavit mentioned Towles supplied police with screenshots of Instagram messages the place Horner admitted to the incident and apologized to Towles.
“It ought to be famous that contact was made with two of the passengers on the defendant’s boat on the time of the incident who agreed that the defendant had utterly misplaced his mood and made poor selections,” the doc said.
Punta Gorda police arrested Horner on April 4 on a cost of housebreaking with assault or battery. The U.S. Coast Guard can also be conducting its personal investigation.
On April 5, Horner was additionally ordered to haven’t any contact with Towles and to give up any weapons and ammunition that he might must the Charlotte County Sheriff’s workplace.
Because the incident, Towles has not spoken to the media, however in a sufferer impression assertion launched Monday, Towles’ legal professional Steven Leskobich mentioned he “can also be enormously involved with the outpouring of contempt and disgust that has been directed at Mr. Horner’s household, and the group.”
In accordance with the assertion, Towles desires those that have been angered by Horner’s actions to not make threats of violence or any vulgarity to the Horner household.
