A mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter has been charged with killing a U.S. airman in a fight outside of a bar in Panama City Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
Ross Johnson, 23, of Cartersville, Ill., was arrested and charged with manslaughter, as per a statement from the Panama City Beach Police on Tuesday. In an incident report, police identified Johnson as an amateur MMA fighter.
Authorities have accused Johnson of killing Air Force Airman 1st Class Dayvon Larry, 31, of Malone, Fla.
Larry died after a fight began inside and outside the Coyote Ugly Saloon in Panama City Beach. Police said Larry was not a participant in the bar brawl but may have known someone involved in the incident.
Police allege Johnson punched Larry once in the parking lot close to the bar. After security broke up the fight, they discovered Larry lying unconscious and administered CPR. When first responders arrived at the scene, he was transported to hospital, where he later died.
Larry’s cause of death was blunt force trauma, authorities claim.
“Witness accounts and surveillance footage revealed that Johnson had struck Larry with a closed fist behind his left ear, causing him to fall to the ground,” police said in a statement.
Police said Johnson “fled the scene via a rideshare service.”
When confronted by police on Monday, Johnson allegedly gave conflicting answers to police questioning, then later confessed that he struck Larry.
Tyndall Air Force Base confirmed to a local ABC-affiliated outlet that Larry was a U.S. airman at the base.
“This is a devastating loss for Tyndall. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and fellow airmen,” the air force base said in a statement.
Johnson is currently being held in the Bay County Jail without bond.
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