By Adrienne Cutway
Orlando Sentinel
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Some people are calling a Pinellas County deputy a hero since video has gone viral of him single-handedly taking down two men following a brawl at St. Pete Beach, according to WFTS.
Spring breakers were drinking on the beach Sunday when between 10 and 15 people started fighting, the Tampa Bay Times reports. A bystander flagged down Sgt. Bryan Bingham who was patrolling at a nearby hotel.
Bingham begins breaking up the ruckus when one of the men reportedly punches him in the arm. Cellphone video shows as Bingham grabs the man, 25-year-old Joshua McMahan, by the neck and slams him into the sand.
Another man, 25-year-old Justin Lewis, tries to interfere and Bingham is seen pushing him away. Witnesses try to calm Lewis down while McMahan is being handcuffed, but video shows Lewis fighting back and starting another altercation.
Once McMahan is cuffed, Bingham grabs Lewis by the neck and brings him down to the ground while crowd kicks sand on McMahan, who is now cuffed and bleeding on the beach.
Bingham puts Lewis in a sleeper hold and bystanders help keep him subdued since Bingham only had one pair of handcuffs.
A witness who recorded video told WFTS that the deputy should be honored for the way he handled the situation. He also said the men seen fighting in the video taunted the deputy, at one point even licking his boot.
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