A man has been caught allegedly beating a shark with a hammer on a beach in horrifying footage - and could face charges.
In the footage, which was captured by a nearby business, two concerned people witnessed the man's actions and immediately contacted authorities.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is pushing for charges against the man, who has been identified.
However, as he's not been charged his name has not been released.
The commission is recommending two charges against the man after the alleged incident, which include harvesting or possessing a prohibited species and catching a prohibited species and not immediately releasing it without harm.
However, it will be up to Brevard County State Attorney's Office to decide if they charge the man.
Once the report by the commission is received by prosecutors it will be up to authorities to review the case and whether to press forward with charges.
In their report, the FWC said the shark is believed to be a lemon shark, which is a protected species in Florida.
In addition, the fishing of lemon sharks in state waters is also banned, according to the commission.
The report said the FWC sent an investigator to the beach - Bicentennial Beach Park in Indian Harbor Beach, Florida, US - and interviewed a man who matched the descriptions eyewitnesses provided.
They said the man appeared to be irked by the questions about the incident, on December 2022, and claimed he was fishing at the beach and caught the shark.
However, he did admit to investigators he struck the shark and released the animal back into the water, according to the report.
The investigator was unable to find the shark due to the tide, the report added.
One of the eyewitnesses told the investigators the alleged man fishes at the beach regularly and lots of calls have been made to cops regarding him.
Although shark fishing is legal in Florida there are a number of rules on the type of sharks which can be caught.
In addition, lemon sharks are among 28 protected sharks in Florida and there multiple rules if fishing on a boat, from the beach, a bridge or a pier, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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