Cell phone video showed people in boxing gloves fighting on the sand surrounded by a ring of students in Fort Lauderdale for spring break.
“I heard a guy start taking bets with his phone,” Joshua Pettus, who recorded the video, said. “[The guy taking bets] was asking about crypto, and this is how you do it with crypto. I was kind of intrigued a little bit but concerned. I automatically pulled out my phone.”
Pettus lives on a boat docked nearby. He walks the beach for fun. He also loves to see college students spending money on spring break in the city Pettus has called home for nine years.
Though, Tuesday’s fight on the beach raised eyebrows.
Pettus’ video showed a shirtless man stir up a crowd of dozens of people circled around two fighters. Two men in the middle of the circle put on boxing gloves, touched hands and then fought. One knocked the other man down and continued punching the fighter on the ground.
Pettus saw worse.
“You see all these feet kicking the guy that’s on the ground,” Pettus said. “It’s insane. It’s unsafe. If they had somebody there legally refereeing these things, it would be different. But you [have families] and kids out there. [The fighting] shouldn’t be happening.”
Fort Lauderdale Police officers on ATV’s rolled up and quickly ended the fight. However, if more violence on the beach follows, Pettus wonders if hosting Spring Break is worth it for the city.
A spokesperson for the City of Fort Lauderdale responded with an emailed statement, saying in part.
“Fort Lauderdale Police witnessed and broke up two incidents on the beach and the crowd complied both times without further issues,” said Christine Portela, the media relations and public outreach manager for Fort Lauderdale. “There have been no reported or confirmed cases of betting. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. Our police department is out along the beach in full force to make this spring break season safe and enjoyable for visitors and residents alike. We encourage anyone who witnesses a disturbance to call 911.”
