May 15, 2018
Levy County Deputies and EMS responded to Bubba’s Place on
US 19 in Fanning Springs on May 5, 2018 to a reported bar fight. Arriving
deputies found the victim unconscious on the sidewalk outside the bar with very
few witnesses in the area. The suspect fled prior to our deputies arrival.
The unconscious victim suffered a laceration to the top of
his head and was bleeding from the mouth. He was transported by helicopter to a
nearby hospital where he remains in critical condition.
The on-scene investigation revealed the victim approached
the suspect standing outside the bar and was able to positively identify him as
Hank Williams (9-8-90) from Fanning Springs. A witness described a brief verbal
altercation between the two men. Williams, unprovoked, struck the victim in the
face with two closed fist blows. The initial strike immediately rendered the
victim unconscious and as he was falling the second strike was thrown. The victim
had his hands in his pockets the entire time.
The LCSO Criminal Investigations Division discovered
Williams has a history as an MMA fighter and is registered as an amateur.
Investigators did request a warrant for his arrest after gathering additional
evidence. A warrant was issued for one count of felony battery with a bond of
$100,000.00.
Earlier this morning Investigators located Williams on CR
341 in Chiefland near the Chiefland Elementary School. Williams was arrested
and taken into custody without difficulty. Based on Williams’s history as a
fighter, multiple units were involved in this arrest.
The LCSO wants to ensure our public that they were safe, as
we were using the utmost caution. We WILL continue to make our community safer
for everyone. We regret this person had to be arrested in the same general area
where our children go to school, but again the safety of our children and
citizens are of our utmost concern. In
addition, for the few students who saw the arrest, they may now want to be law enforcement
officers.