PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla — A 23-year-old man was arrested Sunday after a fight outside a bar ended in someone dead in Panama City Beach.
Police arrested 23-year-old Ross Johnson, who WMBB reports is an amateur MMA fighter, after he allegedly killed another man in the parking lot of a bar.
According to arrest records from the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Johnson is facing a charge of manslaughter. His bond is set at $250,000.
WMBB explains the incident started at night in the parking lot when Johnson was running toward a fight involving a friend. He reportedly hit another man behind the ear.
Police say the 23-year-old never tried to get help for the 31-year-old man who he knocked out, according to the media outlet. Instead, he reportedly left the man laying in the parking lot and went on to fight another man.
After the second fight was over, the amateur MMA fighter left the parking lot and stayed in a hotel room, WMBB explains.
When Johnson was finally arrested by police, he reportedly told investigators different stories of what happened, saying he just pushed the man. But a message on Snapchat to a friend showed the 23-year-old wrote, "Dude is still not moving," the media outlet explains.
He also reportedly told someone, "Man I hit that guy, I laid him out, and I think I killed him.”
According to WMBB, an arrest report says the man, who was an airman in the U.S. Air Force, died from blunt force trauma to the head. The autopsy detailed he had a "softball" size bruise behind his left tear and a fracture to his skull.
“Tyndall officials can confirm that there was an airman death that occurred in PCB on April 10th 2023,” Tyndall Public Affairs officials reportedly said Tuesday. “This is a devastating loss for team Tyndall our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and fellow airman during this tough time.”
