Cops: Man bites another inmate’s ear off during fight at Bartow County Jail

Eric Weller

Credit: Bartow County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Bartow County Sheriff's Office

Eric Weller

A fight at the Bartow County Jail ended with one inmate allegedly imitating Mike Tyson and biting a portion of another inmate’s ear off on Sunday, authorities said.

Eric Weller, 34, of Cartersville, is accused of fighting Austin Free, 20, of Cartersville, injuring Free’s face and back, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Austin Free (Photo: Bartow County Sheriff's Office)

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Surveillance video that was not released then allegedly shows Weller bite Free’s ear, disfiguring it, the release said. Free initially told officers that he fell in the shower the night before when interviewed about his injuries, but the video allegedly shows the full altercation.

Weller, who was in jail for possessing meth and less than an ounce of marijuana, now faces additional charges of riot in a penal institution, battery and parole violation, the release said. He’s been at the jail since February 2018.

Weller wouldn’t speak to officers about the incident, the release said.

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