A Key West man was arrested on Tuesday after he allegedly wielded a knife in an attack on another man at a restaurant.
Tony Austin Bethel, 26, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, resisting an officer without violence and violation of probation.
Around 4 a.m., Key West Police Department officers responded to Caroline’s Cafe on Duval Street, after a report came in of a male with a knife. As officers arrived, five witnesses reported that the suspect, later identified as Bethel, was swinging a knife around. Bethel was still in the area, but as officers tried to detain him, he took off running.
Officers chased him, with two officers firing their stun guns in an attempt to stop him, although they were unsuccessful. However, another officer was able to drive ahead of Bethel and catch him, according to the report.
Witnesses stated Bethel and another man got into an argument, and despite one witness trying to defuse the situation, Bethel ultimately pulled a knife out. The man Bethel was arguing with stated Bethel had come onto Caroline’s property, and since the restaurant was closed, he asked him to leave. Bethel then became agitated, first breaking a beer bottle on the ground and then pulling out a knife. The victim stated he was almost cut in the stomach area.
Bethel said he was hit with a beer bottle, and officers noted he was bleeding from his mouth. A broken beer bottle was located near the area where the fight was said to happen. Despite searching the area, officers never found a knife.
Bethel was arrested and transported to the Monroe County Detention Center, where he was being held without bond.
Information in the Crime Report is obtained from reports provided by area law enforcement agencies.
If you have information that could help solve a crime in the Florida Keys, call Crime Stoppers, 800-346-TIPS.