Florida Iron Man And Others

Florida is a state that just gives, and continues to give ....

 

The Florida Iron Man Makes Withdrawal From The Blood Bank

 

.... when your looking for the strange and weird. 

 

Here then are a few more little tales: Firstly in May 2017 a man walked into a South Florida blood bank wearing a red Iron Man costume, with a hood that zipped up into a mask, and pointed a gun at the reception clerk, then demanding that they hand over the money. He was told it was a 'blood bank' but the gunman told the employees, "I'm hungry." The gunman got away with the petty cash box.

 

Not stupid enough? Well here's another numbskull ... 

 

In July 2018 it was reported that a man had walked into a Jacksonville convenience store with a live alligator tucked under his arm. The unfortunate creature (the alligator, not the red-neck), had its mouth taped shut with duck-tape. The man shouted to the startled shop assistant "Ya'll ain't out of beer, are you?" before he spotted someone in the stores back room and saying "Is he taking the last bit of beer?" .... it was reported that he and a friend took a 12 pack, paid and left. 

 

Florida Man Beer Run

Robby Stratton, of Jacksonville, Florida was later identified on Facebook when someone posted a video of him with the alligator, which he later claimed he had found in the back of his pick-up truck. Stratton later told local reporters that 'I don't even remember coming up here. This store sells some good liquor and I drank a lot of it that night.' ... the unnamed Facebook poster said that they knew everyone in the store. "It was all fun and games". Although no obvious criminal offence was committed, the Florida wildlife investigators were said to be looking into the matter - no mention of the alligators fate.

 

Alligators and Beer are popular in Florida because in 2019, two men, Timothy Kepke and Noah Osborne, were arrested 26 August in Florida, after officials of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said they captured an alligator and forced it to drink beer. A video was passed to the commission which showed the two men with the alligator as they force-feed the wild animal alcohol. It also showed Mr Kepke, who reportedly caught the alligator with his bare hands, after drinking a few beers, enticing the animal to bite his arm before pouring the liquid down its mouth.

When police confronted him at his Florida home on 17 September, Mr Kepke admitted that, while he had been drinking at the time he forced the animal to drink alcohol, he added that he was not intoxicated, and that they returned the alligator into the wild shortly after the incident occurred. Both men were released on bonds while awaiting trial.

 

Nihart Attacked Mr Roehm Who Was In Costume

 

Finally in 2019, Ryan Nihart was sentenced to 10 days in prison for criminal mischief and battery, after he was found guilty of attacking another man who was dressed in a Minion outfit. Mr Nihart knocked over and kicked Jamie Roehm (who is registered legally blind, and is mentally disabled), a number of times as he was walking up and down outside Jungle George’s on the the Daytona Beach's board-walk, while dressed in the outfit (as a child entertainer). Everything was caught on bodycams and CCTV and he was encouraged by two unseen people on the sidewalk while the attack proceeded. 

 

Nihart was tackled and held down by the store owner (for whom Jamie Roehm worked), and another man until police arrived. Nihart told police as they arrested him. “I’m an Instagram star. I’m just doing a prank.” During the attack, his body-cam footage shows Nihart claiming that he was filming a prank, and even bizarrely saying that he had asked for permission to beat the man in the Minion suit beforehand. As he was being handcuffed, Nihart started apologizing profusely, and continued to claim that the beating was just part of a video prank. He later posted apologies on-line

"So, I messed up this week, guys, I am so sorry. I apologize to anybody that I offended or anybody that I will offend. But now I am on the news for something that was a big misunderstanding. I really was trying to make a funny video.”

 

Nihart was also ordered to pay for $300 damage caused to the stores costume and also ordered to attend a 'moral recognition therapy course'. But last words to the victim Jamie Roehm “I love my job. Nothing makes me prouder than to come out and entertain these kids."

..... Only in Florida.