TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A man was arrested in Tallahassee for throwing hot grease on his roommate last week, according to court records.
William V. Clark, 54, was charged with aggravated battery to cause bodily harm, a probable cause affidavit revealed.
A man was arrested in Tallahassee for throwing hot grease on his roommate, per a probable cause affidavit.(Must credit CJIS)
The incident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. on Monday, October 20, on Holton Street.
The roommate, Carl Sanders, was taken by helicopter to UF Shands Hospital following the incident, and is currently in the ICU Burns Unit with burns to his face, neck and upper left arm, records show.
The altercation began when Clark was arguing with Sanders over the guests he was having over at their residence, per court documents. The issue was an ongoing dispute and Clark was telling Sanders to leave the residence.
Records show that Clark told responding officers that Sanders was letting people use the bathroom and shower, along with “turning the house into a ‘drug zone.’”
The two were still arguing as Clark was heating grease in a pan to make ribs, according to the records. Sanders then began recording their argument with a cell phone as he yelled to Clark that he wouldn’t leave, per court records.
Clark said he then threw the grease because of those statements and also to defend himself.
“Clark, several minutes later, then said that Sanders stood up in a “threatening” manner and “lunged” at him. Clark was unable to articulate what made Sanders’ actions “threatening” and also stated that he was standing near Sanders with the pan of grease, ” according to records.
Clark also told officers that Sanders might’ve been holding a pocket knife, which was also found in a hallway inside the residence, per court documents. Sanders told officers that he wasn’t carrying a pocketknife.
After Clark threw the grease, Sanders ran from the residence, court documents reveal.
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Law enforcement obtained the cell phone video that Sanders recorded, which shows Clark walking from the kitchen and into the hallway with a pan full of steaming hot grease, records show.
“As Clark approaches within three to 4 feet of Sanders, Sanders says, ‘You got this?’ and then Clark throws the grease from the hot pan onto Sanders,” per the probable cause affidavit. The phone falls to the ground after he throws the grease and continues to record with the camera lens facing up.
Court records reveal that the incident occurred in 15 seconds of the cell phone video and Clark is also heard explaining the incident to someone over the phone at the 31-minute mark, per documents.
“At no time during the duration of the video is Clark attempting to call 911 or does he state to whomever he is speaking with that Sanders made threats towards him during the incident,” per the affidavit.
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