Man arrested in connection with ear-biting incident in SW Atlanta park

The suspect is accused of pulling a knife and biting off a chunk of the victim's ear.

Credit: Atlanta Police Department

Credit: Atlanta Police Department

The suspect is accused of pulling a knife and biting off a chunk of the victim's ear.

Police have arrested a man suspected of assaulting another man by biting off a piece of his ear and swinging a knife at him in a park in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood, officials said.

Landon Dallas Cook, 36, was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery, Atlanta police spokeswoman Lt. Paula Lyons said in a news briefing.

After police released photos of the suspect taken from security footage at a MARTA station, he was recognized by members of the Atlanta Police Department’s Homeless Outreach, Prevention and Engagement (HOPE) unit, Lyons said.

The HOPE unit “was able to assist us in locating him and, subsequent to that, we’ve been able to make an arrest,” Lyons said.

Cook is accused of assaulting a 47-year-old man in Howell Park, according to a police report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The incident began just before 8 p.m. on June 14, when responding officers found the victim bleeding heavily after the suspect had bitten off a piece of the victim’s lower left ear, the report said.

The victim told police he was sitting in the pavilion after attending an event there and was approached by the suspect, who told him the event was over and that he needed to leave, the report said. The victim said he tried to ignore the man, but the suspect continued to approach him.

The third time the man approached, the victim said he stood up, which led the suspect to punch him, according to the police report. The two began to grapple, at which point the suspect bit the victim’s ear, the report said. As the two struggled, a pocket knife fell out of the suspect’s clothes, which he picked up, opened and used to slash the victim several times, the report said.

After the suspect pulled the knife, the victim retreated to the road and flagged down a passerby for assistance, the report said. The witness called 911 and the victim pointed out the suspect, who was walking away from the scene and into the West End MARTA station. The witness tried to contact MARTA police so they could stop the suspect, but the man was able to board a train and leave before officers could respond.

The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, the report said.

Cook remains in APD custody for processing before he is transported to the Fulton County Jail.