A 37-year-old Florida man, James Michael Anderson, has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to aggravated battery. Anderson was arrested at Sol Fest, a popular EDM music and arts festival in Ponce de Leon, Florida, in May 2024. He was accused of biting a Holmes County Sheriff’s deputy on the head, resulting in a severe scalp injury and exposure of the deputy’s skull. Anderson was also alleged to have attempted to seize the deputy’s firearm.
The incident was part of a chaotic scene at the festival, which was covered by local CBS affiliate WJHG. Anderson was one of several individuals arrested at the event. The deputy, who has since recovered and returned to duty, suffered significant scarring from the attack. Holmes County Chief Prosecutor Jacob Cook described the injury as “the most severe bite wound I have ever seen in my career as a prosecutor.”
Cook was prepared to take the case to trial and had planned to call the injured deputy to testify. However, Anderson entered a guilty plea before the trial could commence. Following his plea, Anderson was sentenced to six years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of felony probation.
The festival, which attracted more than 10,000 attendees, was marred by a high number of arrests. According to WJHG, 68 people were taken into custody, primarily for drug possession. The substances found included marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms, and MDMA, also known as molly.
Among those arrested was a staff member of Sol Fest. The disorderly conduct at the festival prompted the introduction of new ordinances for outdoor gatherings and legal action against the event’s promoter. State Attorney Larry Basford confirmed these developments in a press release.
Anderson was arrested on May 5, 2024, and charged with aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer. His guilty plea and subsequent sentencing mark the conclusion of this particular case, but the repercussions of the chaotic festival continue to reverberate in the community.