Zane Garrett, Key West, Florida fisherman charged in ‘revenge’ shark stabbing (for stealing his catch) after viral Snapchat video, ‘Bud Broke My Rod,’ going viral.
A Florida fisherman was arrested on Thursday after video showed the charter captain repeatedly stabbing a shark in the head in footage that went viral on Snapchat last month.
Zane Garrett, 26, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty after footage showed him repeatedly slashing at a bull shark near a wreck site off Key West on May 22 in a video titled ‘Bud broke my rod,’ Local 10 reported.
Garrett, who is identified as a captain on Second Nature Charters’ website, was identified as the individual harming marine life after an anonymous tipster saw the video and reported it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, citing ‘safety concerns,’ according to the outlet.
‘Bud Broke My Rod’ viral Snapchat shark stabbing
Garrett was recently ‘investigated for false representation’ because he does not have the required license to be a captain, the outlet reported.
Stated the tipster, ‘Yes, to weapons for the 9-11 inch filet knife, yes to violent behavior for stabbing a shark repeatedly, yes to being concerned over them being dumb enough to post themselves committing a crime,’ the tipster said in their report.
During questioning, Garrett admitted being the individual in the footage, saying, ‘Yah, that’s me.’
The fisherman claimed that his actions fell in line with the typical method used to deter sharks from stealing catches, and that stabbing one would ward others off.
Distressing video showed the charter boat captain striking the shark directly on its head at least two times with the animal bleeding profusely as it thrashed while held by a fishing line before the marine animal eventually being released.
Garrett eventually relented, confessing to striking the shark in an act of ‘revenge’ because the predator ‘had stolen his fish and was a nuisance,’ according to the warrant cited by Local 10.
‘I asked Mr. Garrett if he thought that the repeated blows would eventually kill the shark, to which he replied, ‘No. It takes a lot more to kill a shark than stabbing it in the head,” the document stated.
The fisherman also confessed that he ‘did a lot more killing’ of sharks with firearms and ‘has stabbed sharks and/or killed sharks without harvesting them onto his boat many times in the past.’
Authorities condemned the ‘egregious’ slaying for causing unnecessary harm to the shark.
Garrett is being held in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Key West jail facility on a $10,000 bond. His arrangement is set for June 26.
FWC officials encourage the public to report wildlife violations through the FWC Wildlife Alert app or by calling the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.
