Background: 300 10th Ave. East in Bradenton, Florida, where Jaquan Sykes was reportedly arrested (Google Maps). Inset: Jaquan Sykes (Manatee County Sheriff”s Office).
A Florida man has been handed a prison sentence for a brutal attack on his friend, which stemmed from an earlier incident where the friend accidentally broke his phone. The incident, marked by violence and a quest for vengeance, led to serious consequences for both parties involved.
Jaquan Sykes, aged 35, learned his sentence this week, receiving 2 1/2 years behind bars for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. According to court documents, Sykes has already been credited with 626 days of time served. This means he will likely spend only around nine more months incarcerated, barring any unforeseen changes.
The altercation, driven by a desire for retribution, began on January 30, 2022, shortly before 1 a.m. Sykes picked up two friends, a man and a woman, and drove to a liquor store in Oneco Rose. After acquiring a bottle, Sykes and the male friend exited the vehicle, heading to the rear of the store for a conversation.
The male friend later recounted to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office that Sykes had initiated the discussion. However, the situation quickly escalated when Sykes allegedly attacked him with a hatchet. The weapon was described as having a handle wrapped in “para cord,” a durable rope initially developed for parachutes during World War II.
According to court records, the victim sustained multiple strikes to his upper body, resulting in severe lacerations to his head. The injuries were so serious that they included multiple fractured bones, necessitating surgical intervention and the insertion of pins to maintain bone alignment.
“He said that he was struck multiple times on his upper body and sustained multiple lacerations to his head,” the court document continues. “He suffered multiple fractured bones and has pins in his body holding the bones aligned.” The report noted that the wounds would require surgery.
“During the attack the victim stated that he heard Jaquan saying he was going to kill him,” the warrant states. As the victim managed to escape Sykes’ strikes, he said he heard Sykes yelling at him, “So now you wanna beg for your life,” the document noted.
“A short time later, Jaquan returned to the vehicle by himself,” the arrest warrant states, saying Sykes told the woman that “she needed to go find the victim and check on him.” She exited, and after doing so, said she saw Sykes drive off.
As he drove away, the now-convicted defendant reportedly yelled out, “That was for breaking my phone.”
The woman then spotted the other man — the victim — seeing that he was “left in the roadway” and had been “battered and cut multiple times with a hatchet.” He had “serious injuries to his arms, torso and head,” the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said about 10 days later, adding that the victim was transported to an area hospital where he was “expected to recover.”
Both the woman and the victim identified Sykes — otherwise known as “Quan” — as the suspect, the arrest warrant says. The victim said “he believes this incident stemmed over him accidentally breaking Jaquan’s phone on Christmas,” adding that “he has already replaced the phone he broke of his so he is unsure why he would still be mad.”
The court document stated that Sykes “threatened” the witness and victim after the attack. The hatchet was not immediately recovered.
