Inset: William Clark (Leon County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Florida residence where William Clark allegedly tossed hot grease on his roommate while frying ribs (Google Maps).
A Florida man, frustrated with his roommate due to the presence of unwelcome visitors, reportedly issued a stark warning: “Leave, or I’ll make you leave.” The situation escalated when the roommate chose to stay, prompting the man to allegedly douse him with hot grease, according to law enforcement reports.
William Clark, 54, residing in Tallahassee, has been charged with aggravated battery causing bodily harm following the incident on October 20. A probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime reveals Clark’s intense anger towards his roommate, which led him to prepare additional grease in case he needed to use it again.
The altercation was documented by the victim on his cellphone. The video shows Clark approaching with a pan of grease, initially intended for frying ribs, as detailed in the affidavit. Police reviewed this footage, which captured the sequence of events.
“You got this?” the victim reportedly inquired moments before Clark allegedly splashed the hot grease on him. The attack resulted in severe burns on the left side of the victim’s face, neck, and upper left arm, necessitating hospital treatment.
The affidavit describes the pan Clark held as visibly emitting steam from the hot grease. The confrontation began with the victim standing in the hallway, while Clark emerged from the kitchen, advancing towards him and issuing the ultimatum: “Leave, or I’ll make you leave.”
Police noted that the roommate was positioned in a part of the apartment where escape was not an option. The affidavit further states that grease was discovered throughout the hallway where the victim claimed to be when Clark allegedly attacked, as well as in a pan left on the stove.
According to Clark, he and the victim have had “ongoing disputes” about the roommate allowing subjects to come over and use the bathroom and shower. Clark told police the victim was turning the home into a “drug zone,” with a friend of theirs confirming to cops that Clark “was upset” over the roommate “having guests over and was yelling” about it prior to the incident, the affidavit says.
Police say Clark gave three different reasons for why he threw the grease.
“Clark first stated during questioning that he threw grease on [the victim] because he started recording and yelling that he was not leaving,” the affidavit alleges. “Clark, several minutes later, then said that [the victim] stood up in a ‘threatening’ manner and ‘lunged’ at him.”
Clark was allegedly “unable to articulate” what made his roommate’s actions “threatening” and stated that he “held the pan of hot grease to use it as a weapon” and to “defend himself,” according to the affidavit.
The roommate ran from the apartment after being attacked and the police were called. He was transported by emergency helicopter to a local hospital and was said to be undergoing treatment in the ICU burn unit there.
Clark was arrested by the Tallahassee Police Department on Wednesday and booked into the Leon County Jail. He was granted a $10,000 bond and ordered to stay away from the victim, along with wearing a GPS monitoring device. He has entered a plea of not guilty.
