Off the Beat: Man swings anchor in grilled chicken dispute

Will Greenlee | Treasure Coast Newspapers

FORT PIERCE — Upset about ruined chicken, John Mathews is accused of doing what others might not.

Swinging a boat anchor around and cursing at high volume.

The apparent case of the anchor-wielding poultry fan went down on the Fourth of July at Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, according to an arrest affidavit.

People on the beach about 6:45 p.m. flagged down a St. Lucie County sheriff’s deputy. The deputy was told a man, later identified as Mathews, 41, was being aggressive toward another man and trying to fight.

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“Witnesses stated Mathews was swinging his metal boat anchor around in the air and cursing loudly toward the other individuals on the beach,” the affidavit states.

An anchor is an instrument or device dropped via a chain, rope or cable to the floor of a body of water, such as an ocean, to stop the movement of a boat or floating object.

Anchors are popular designs for tattoos, such as the classic anchor immortalized on cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man’s forearms.

Anchors are not popular choices for weapons.

Meanwhile, Mathews was accused of “walking aggressively toward other males on the beach and attempting to engage in physical altercations,” the affidavit states.

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Mathews smelled of booze. He said he’d had two shots of Malibu rum, available in the original coconut flavor and varieties including pineapple, mango, passion fruit and banana.

Investigators say Mathews started crying, saying he did nothing wrong.

Mathews said he confronted another man on the beach “because he ruined his chicken that was on his grill,” the affidavit states.

Mathews, of Port St. Lucie, was arrested on a disorderly intoxication charge.

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