Man accused of getting into a fight over whether or not acquaintance was dead

A 62-year-old Florida man is accused of getting into a physical fight after an argument about whether or not an acquaintance was dead. Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputies were called for a disturbance on Oct. 23, according to the arrest report.

They found Henry Hill Shiver Jr., who reported that the victim told Shiver and another person that an acquaintance had died. Shiver said the victim later said the acquaintance was not dead. Shiver and the other person began yelling at the victim, which escalated to a physical fight.
Shiver said “they hit the victim with a bucket” but later changed his story several times. He eventually said it was “self defense” and the other person assisted him. Shiver said he’d “jumped on the victim” and “began striking him in the face with his fists.” The victim had several injuries, including a cut on his head.
Deputies were unable to observe the injuries “due to the amount of blood on the victim.” The victim was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center for treatment. Shiver was arrested and a baggie of marijuana was found in his pocket. He is charged with battery as a second or subsequent offense and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. His next scheduled court date is Dec. 2.