Booking image for Shawn Sokol (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. - A Redington Shores man is in custody and another is on life support following a bar fight, Pinellas County deputies said.
Around 3:24 p.m. Sunday, deputies arrived at JD's on the Rocks bar in Indian Rocks Beach after receiving a report of an altercation. When they arrived, they found the victim, a 56-year-old man, laying in the parking lot with a serious head injury.
During the investigation, deputies said they learned that 35-year-old Shawn Steven Sokol and a friend were drinking together at the bar. Then, they said, Sokol's friend challenged the victim and another bar patron to a fight in the parking lot.
Detectives said when the victim went outside, Sokol ran up and struck the victim in the face with "a full force punch." They said, according to witnesses, the victim was unaware of the suspect's attack, and was unable to defend himself with Sokol was out of the victim's view.
Witnesses said the victim fell to the ground, and struck his head on the asphalt parking lot, causing the head injury, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies said Sokol fled, but they were able to locate him a short time later hiding nearby.
The victim was taken to a hospital where he remained in critical condition on life support, as of Monday morning.
Sokol was arrested on an aggravated battery charge.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Detective Creaser at 727-582-5803.