If you're stingy with cigarettes you could get, err, lose an earful in this week's edition of ONLY IN FLORIDA.ONLY IN FLORIDA is our weekly roundup of the strange, bizarre and just plain ridiculous headlines from right here in the Sunshine State.
ONLY IN FLORIDA do fake cops moon IHOP waitresses in hopes of getting a free meal.
Matt Skytta wanted some free pancakes. First he flashed a fake Orlando PD badge at his local IHOP in hopes his meal would be on the house.
When that didn’t work, the real police say Skytta pulled down his pants and flashed his buttocks.
Orlando Police have since learned that Skytta’s been coming into the restaurant for a while, claiming he is a police officer and demanding free food.
Incidentally, when police took him out of the IHOP, Skytta said, "I'm a Green Beret! If I die, Obama dies!"
Skytta was charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, trespassing, and disorderly conduct. (International Business Times)
ONLY IN FLORIDA do people get electric shocks instead of lettuce wraps with their Chinese dinner.
James Groves, 45, was arrested Monday on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and disorderly conduct.
Palm Beach Gardens Police were called to the P.F. Chang’s at 3101 PGA Boulevard around 6 p.m. Mall security officers told the officer Groves was at the bar trying to get people to fight him.
Groves continued to refuse to comply with the officer. The officer warned him if he didn’t change his attitude he’d be tased.
Groves ended up not complying which resulted in the officer tasing him below his right shoulder blade. (Palm Beach Post)
ONLY IN FLORIDA do people in the throes of nicotine withdrawal bite off their neighbor’s ears.
Police in Boca Raton say Alberto Felipe pulled a "Mike Tyson" on his neighbor because the guy wouldn’t give him a cigarette.
John Ott wouldn’t give Felipe a smoke and because of it, got a huge chunk of his ear bitten off. Only a thin piece of cartilage kept Ott’s whole ear from being ripped from his head.
Felipe has been arrested three other times in Palm Beach County on other assault and battery charges.
We think the story would make a great addition to those terrifying Tobacco Free Florida public service announcements. (New York Daily News)
Send your ONLY IN FLORIDA suggestions to firstcoastconnect@wjct.org.
You can follow Melissa Ross on Twitter @MelissainJax Patrick Donges on Twitter at @patrickhdonges.
