U.S.A.
Everyone Else
Health
Science
Business
Technology
Sports
Video Games
Entertainment
Future
Humour
NEWS > U.S.A. > FLORIDA MAN INVESTIGATED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY AFTER PUNCHING SHARK IN THE FACE
FLORIDA MAN INVESTIGATED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY AFTER PUNCHING SHARK IN THE FACE
September 11 2010
New Smyrna Beach, FL – There is no more fearsome a predator in the world than sharks. Remnants of a long lost era, sharks are the embodiment of evolutionary perfection, animals designed to do nothing other than eat and breed. Their fearsome
appearance – cold black eyes, teeth the size of shot glasses – and their ability to hide beneath the water and striking without warning have made sharks the stuff of nightmares, though like all nightmares the rationality is somewhat debatable.
Nonetheless, sharks are widely perceived as unstoppable and uncontrollable machines and though our lives are in far more danger from land predators, it is our inability to control the situation in which sharks thrive that makes them so terrifying. That fear is something a Florida man Kris Kerr was faced with last week when swimming in the ‘Shark Bite Capital of the World’ near Smyrna beach last weekend. His close encounter with the man eater came while snapping pictures of his friend surfing and when faced with the behemoth of the deep Kerr did what any rational person would do; he lashed out, punching the shark in the face, turning it away. That has put Kerr in the national spotlight but has also made him the focus of authorities who are now investigating the man for animal cruelty.
“We have seen the video and seen the interviews on television but we have yet to speak to Mr. Kerr himself. While the circumstances of this incident appear quite sensible at first glance it is our responsibility to investigate all claims and cases of potential abuse no matter the animal,” said a spokesperson for the local police department. “We understand that this case has generated some national attention and that the bulk of the support is in favour of this individual we cannot simply take such good will and shove the incident under the rug. This shark is an animal in our jurisdiction and is provided the same rights as any other animal in the area.”
Kerr came to national attention after an appearance on the ‘Early Show’. 
“My dad always claims -- he watched the Discovery Channel special where they're chumming up the great whites by the boat, they tickle them under the nose and they go docile, they roll over. He says, 'Do that and if that doesn't work, punch them as hard as you can,” Kerr told Erica Hill on the program. “I had always claimed that if a shark did charge me, that I would, in fact, get a picture. And then hit it as hard as I could. And luckily, I didn't blow it when it did happen. I thought my friend was going to die. But, I mean, once I'd seen he was OK and swimming toward shore, I mean, I didn't really know what to think until I saw the picture.”
That picture which shows the shark approaching Kerr is being sought for analysis before any charges can be laid.
“Animal cruelty is unfortunately something still all too common in modern America. The situation has certainly improved in the last few decades but there are still reports of really revolting incidents across the country. That could be due to increased reporting but regardless, it’s clear these types of things are still happening,” said Scrape TV American analyst Dave Davidson. “At first glance this appears to be an issue of self-defence against a dangerous animal but they were in the water engaging in exactly the type of activity that draws sharks in an area that is known to be heavily populated. That could indicate that they were trying to draw the animal in order to create exactly this situation and if that is the case it is very likely that this is an incident of animal cruelty that could be prosecuted.”
Kerr was reportedly previously investigated for an incident where he punched a cat in the hindquarters. The case was dropped without any charges.
Mike Michaels, American Correspondent
NEWS > U.S.A. > FLORIDA MAN INVESTIGATED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY AFTER PUNCHING SHARK IN THE FACE
LINK IT! http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/usa/pages-5/Florida-man-investigated-for-animal-cruelty-after-punching-shark-in-the-face-Scrape-TV-The-World-on-your-side.html |
TWEET IT! http://bit.ly/cNRTwd |
BOOKMARK IT!  
|
|---|
Scrape Store
