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Niceville brothers busted after fight involving garbage can, shovel and pocket-knife

“The defendant was swinging a garbage can at (his brother)" deputy writes in report.

By Evan Bleier
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NICEVILLE, Fla., March 10 (UPI) -- Niceville did not exactly live up to its name during an incident last month that allegedly involved a Florida man hitting his brother in the face with a shovel and attacking him with a garbage can.

A deputy was called to a trailer park after a neighbor reported that two men had been yelling all day. When he arrived, the officer reportedly saw 49-year-old Thomas Mealer attempting to hit his brother with a garbage can. The brother was trying to fight back with a pocket-knife. Mealer “appeared highly intoxicated.”

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“Upon arriving on scene I saw the defendant, Thomas (Alan) Mealer, and (the) victim/brother … outside of the trailer,” the deputy wrote in his arrest report. “The defendant was swinging a garbage can at (his brother) and (his brother) had a pocket knife in his hand. I immediately gave verbal commands to both the defendant and (his brother) to drop the weapons.”

Mealer’s brother was bleeding from his forehead because he had previously been struck in the head with a shovel. When the deputy located the shovel, it appeared to have hair on it.

According to the Northwest Florida Daily News, the men began arguing after the brother said “none of the family members loved nor cared about Mealer.”

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Mealer was charged with aggravated battery using a deadly weapon and is due in court in April.

[Northwest Florida Daily News]

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