What started as an argument over where to park a boat and escalated into a beach fight is now spilling over into a civil lawsuit against at a Palmetto Bay city councilman.
Body camera video from a Monroe County Sheriff's deputy showed Palmetto Bay councilman David Singer back on July 15th at Gilbert's Resort in Key Largo shortly after the fight.
Deputies say Singer was upset over not being able to park his boat in a particular slip by the beach, and once docked in another location, he came back to the spot by the beach to confront the group of people in the water.
A verbal altercation ensued between Singer and Jodi and William Segovia, including William's brother, and then the men started throwing punches.
"I do know they were hit by Mr. Singer, as a matter of fact I know that also Mr. Singer somehow ended up in the scuffle with his hands inside of my brother-in-law's mouth and ended up ripping the inside of his mouth," Jodi Singer said Thursday.
"Definitely alcohol was involved, even the police officer said he was drunk when he came to talk to us, he was out of control," William Segovia said.
"After I get off the boat I said 'hey, you want to sit there and talk s--- to me, talk s--- to me here on the dock,'" Singer told a deputy in the video. "Next thing I know I'm getting sucker-punched. Ok, I'm on the bottom of the pile bleeding, whatever, we're fighting."
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In an phone interview with NBC 6 Thursday, Singer said he was drinking that day but hours before the encounter. He said he was drinking water in the body camera video.
Despite the violence, the Segovias decided not to press charges against Singer. But after suffering bumps and bruises, they hired a lawyer who plans to sue Singer for personal injury.
The police report and employees of Gilbert's said Jodi Segovia claimed she was a Coral Gables police officer. She said that was a misunderstanding, that she is an employee with the department as an off-duty coordinator. She added that she's the subject of an internal investigation at the police department and is currently on paid leave but said it's not a disciplinary action.
Singer said he's the real victim, and said he had a bloody lip and ripped shirt as a result. He said he spoke with the village attorney about the issue and said the village is not concerned with it.
