SARASOTA, Fla. – A city official in Florida was involved in a fight outside a bar on Christmas, a local newspaper reported.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported Monday that Sarasota Commissioner Kyle Battie was attacked by multiple men after a verbal dispute.
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The newspaper obtained video that shows the 52-year-old commissioner being placed in a headlock and punched several times.
In a written statement to police, Battie said he was walking back into a restaurant when he saw his friend in an argument with one of the suspects.
Battie said he removed his jacket before being struck by one of the men.
A witness told police Battie fell to the ground and was kicked and punched. The witness said he appeared to be unconscious.
According to the newspaper, another witness who is the girlfriend of one of the men involved in the fight told police that her boyfriend was approached by a tall, Black man. It appears she was speaking about Battie since she told police that the man took off his jacket.
“I’m (redacted), I’ll f--- you up,” the witness claimed Battie said.
According to the police report, one of the victims told police that the fight started after he was walking with his friends on the sidewalk when four white men, two women and two small children left a nearby restaurant.
According to the victim, one of the men in the group said, “Make room for the smurf,” and he confronted the group to ask why they were being disrespectful.
The victim told police three of the men surrounded him and began striking him.
Battie was apparently attacked after trying to intervene, according to the newspaper.
Battie, who needed stitches after the incident, has requested not to prosecute for battery.
“Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness,” Battie posted on Facebook Monday. “Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t change.”