Florida charter captain arrested after viral confrontation video; attorney no longer representing him
Florida charter captain arrested after viral confrontation video
The charter boat captain at the center of a viral boating rage incident in Punta Gorda was arrested Friday night. Brock Horner, 40, is being charged with burglary with assault or battery, non-forced entry. Scott Weinberg, Horner's original attorney, has told FOX 35 that he's no longer representing him.
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - The charter boat captain at the center of a viral boating rage incident in Punta Gorda was arrested Friday night. Brock Horner, 40, is being charged with burglary with assault or battery, non-forced entry.
Scott Weinberg, Horner's original attorney, has told FOX 35 that he's no longer representing him.
Horner is currently being held in the Charlotte County Jail.
Police said Florida charter boat captain Brock Horner, 40, was arrested on Friday and is being charged with burglary with assault or battery, non-forced entry. (Credit: Punta Gorda Police Department)
Florida captain's 'boat rage' goes viral
The backstory:
On April 1, Horner was captured on video screaming at a young boater named Gage Towles in the Peace River. Towles' video has since gone viral, garnering more than 14 million views as of Saturday.
The video shows Horner pulling his boat alongside Towles' boat without permission. Officials said Horner then unlawfully boarded the boat and threatened Towles, escalating the incident into a criminal offense.
In the video, Towles repeatedly asked Horner to leave, tried to calm down the situation and apologized.
According to an arrest affidavit, the incident stemmed from another that happened a few days prior. The fisherman said Horner was seen speeding and cutting under the bridge. When others yelled at Horner to slow down, they say Horner accused them of not having their lights on. Towles said he was not involved, but Horner sought him out.
New details emerge in viral Florida boating confrontation
A charter boat captain is under investigation for threatening a young boater and even jumping into his boat. The video of the boating rage has now gone viral. The suspect's attorney is now speaking out about his actions.
What we don't know:
When FOX 35 reached out to Horner's attorney on Saturday morning for an interview, Weinberg said he's no longer representing Horner. It is currently unclear why Weinberg has chosen not to represent Horner, but FOX 35 has reached out for additional clarification. FOX 35 is also working to learn if Horner has a new attorney.
‘This type of behavior will not be tolerated’
What they're saying:
The viral video has gotten so much attention that Punta Gorda police are asking people "not" to report it anymore.
"This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our waterways — or anywhere else in our city," said Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith. "We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, both on land and on the water."
The maker of the boat in the video, Pathfinder, issued a statement clarifying they do not have an affiliation with the captain or his charter company.
Through a statement by his previous attorney, Horner apologized for his behavior, saying he was not proud of how he acted.
What's next:
Officials are currently still conducting the criminal investigation.
In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are conducting separate investigations due to the location of the incident.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:
- Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines
- Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar
- Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines
- FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV
The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from previous reporting, as well as from the video that went viral, an official arrest affidavit, and information shared by the Punta Gorda Police Department in news releases, social media posts and a press conference on April 5, 2025.