PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — An amateur mixed martial arts fighter is accused of killing another man in the parking lot of a Florida Panhandle bar, authorities said.
Ross Allen Johnson, 23, of Cartersville, Illinois, was charged with negligent manslaughter after the Sunday incident, according to Bay County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
According to the Panama City Police Department, Johnson is an MMA fighter with a 5-2 record who has had three years of “advanced fighter training,” WMBB-TV reported.
An arrest affidavit stated that Johnson struck the victim “with a closed fist” behind the left ear and continued to strike him while in the parking lot of the Coyote Ugly Saloon in Panama City Beach. The victim died from blunt force trauma to the head and an autopsy showed he had a softball-sized bruise and a skull fracture, according to WMBB.
According to the television station, the victim was identified as Dayvon Larry, 31, of Malone, Florida. Officials at Tyndall Air Force Base, located east of Panama City, said the victim was an Airman First Class and a member of the 325th Security Forces Squadron.
“Tyndall officials can confirm that there was an airman death that occurred in PCB on April 10, 2023,” a spokesperson for the base said on 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.”
According to the arrest affidavit, Johnson was running toward a fight involving a friend when he struck the victim.
Police said that Johnson never attempted to render aid or get help for the victim after he struck him, WMBB reported.
According to the affidavit, police said that Johnson allegedly told a witness, “Man I hit that guy, I laid him out, and I think I killed him.”
Johnson made his first appearance in court on Tuesday and bail was set at $250,000, according to Bay County online court records. He is scheduled to return to court on May 1, online records show.