A US airman died after being punched outside a Florida bar during a brawl. An amateur mixed martial arts fighter is accused of making the fatal blow. The 23-year-old, Ross Johnson, has been charged with manslaughter.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Dayvon Larry, 31, was at the Coyote Ugly Saloon when fights broke out inside and outside the bar. According to an incident report, Larry was not directly involved in the brawl.
The incident report went on to assume that perhaps Larry knew someone involved in the argument that led to the fights. In the parking lot outside the bar, Johnson punched Larry one time in the head.
First responders administered CPR on Larry before taking him to the hospital. He was pronounced dead there.
Larry was an airman at Tyndall Air Force Base. The base issued a statement saying, "This is a devastating loss for Tyndall. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and fellow airmen."
Johnson was arrested on Monday evening and charged with manslaughter. He is currently being held without bond in Bay County Jail.
It appeared that Johnson was involved in an argument inside the bar with another group before things escalated and were carried outside. Surveillance video shows Johnson striking Larry behind the left ear, and then leaving him unconscious on the ground as he went to join another altercation.
"Subsequently, Johnson fled the scene via a rideshare service," police said in a press release. After being brought in on Monday, police said he provided inconsistent accounts of what occurred. He later confessed to punching Larry.
A medical exam showed that Larry's cause of death was homicide by blunt force trauma, with a 3-inch fracture in his skull. A witness came forward and told police that Johnson is a licensed MMA fighter, and that was later confirmed by police.
