A man arrested at a Ponce De Leon EDM festival for assaulting an officer pleaded guilty to Aggravated Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer on Friday.
James Michael Anderson, 37, of Westville, was arrested in May 2024 at SolFest, a drug-riddled music festival that saw more than 50 arrests.
Anderson was a volunteer at SolFest and attacked a Holmes County Sheriff’s deputy while on foot patrol. During the attack, Anderson bit a chunk out of the back of the officer’s head. The bite wound was so deep the deputy’s skull was exposed.
According to a press release from the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, Anderson complained he “had hair in his teeth,” after he bit the officer. Per HCSO, he was under the influence of PCP, LSD, Ketamine, mushrooms, and ecstasy when he attacked the deputy.
Holmes County Circuit Court Judge Russell Roberts sentenced Anderson to 6 years in prison followed by 10 years of felony probation.
“Violence against our local law enforcement officers will not be tolerated, and criminals that make the choice to do so will be held responsible,” said Holmes County Chief Prosecutor Jacob Cook. “This is the most severe bite wound I have ever seen in my career as a prosecutor, and this defendant is going to spend the next several years in prison paying for his violent actions.”
