GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Florida man has been charged with felony battery after local authorities alleged that he punched his girlfriend in the face for changing the channel during Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7.
According to the arrest report, 55-year-old Thomas White and his girlfriend began arguing after she changed the channel away from the championship battle between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Alachua County Sheriff investigators stated that White began to punch the victim in the face, resulting in cuts on her face and chin; a bloodied nose; and a swollen wrist and hand. Deputies also discovered a “substantial” amount of blood droplets on the ground and on the wall, WCJB reported.
According to the TV station, White told deputies that the victim was “running her mouth,” slapped him and swung at him during their argument. He claimed her actions prompted him to defend himself, but deputies said White’s lack of visible injuries indicate his account of events is “not consistent with physical evidence.”
White also has a previous conviction for felony battery involving a pregnant victim, Fox News reported.