Florida charter captain arrested after viral confrontation video; attorney no longer representing him
The Brief
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.
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.
Towles allegedly 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. 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.
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.
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.
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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.
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