BRADENTON, Fla. _ Charges were dropped Tuesday against one of three Manatee County men accused of dragging a shark behind a boat at a high rate of speed.
Charges against Spencer Heintz, 23, of Palmetto, were dropped in a Hillsborough County courtroom Tuesday during a disposition hearing with Judge Mark Wolfe, according to WFLA-TV News and WFTS-TV. He had previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated animal cruelty.
Robert Lee Benac, 28, of Bradenton, and Michael Wenzel, 21, of Palmetto, face two counts each of aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, and one count each of illegal method to take a shark, a second-degree misdemeanor. They pleaded not guilty to the charges in January. They are out of jail on bond.
The charges stem from a video that went viral on social media last year. The video showed a shark tied to a rope being violently dragged behind a boat at a high rate of speed, sparking outrage and petitions calling for authorities to arrest those responsible.
In the now infamous video, three men on the boat are laughing while watching the shark behind them.
Court documents detailed the evidence against the men over the events of June 26, told through videos recorded throughout their time on the boat. Many of the videos were from Snapchat, a social media application, and were time- and date-stamped.
After speaking with three shark experts, investigators concluded there was a "high probability" the shark was alive, according to the affidavit.
