(Video) Sheriff's Deputy Videotaped Pulverizing Pair of 'Thugs' on Florida Beach: 'I Acted Instead of Waiting

Sergeant Bryan Bingham parked his ATV on St. Pete Beach and surveyed the chaos he was about to enter.

The Florida sand was packed with up to 200 college students on spring break last Sunday — and not all was well behind the Postcard Inn. A few dozen people started running toward Bingham, "flagging me down that there was a large fight taking place," he recalled.

Sergeant Bryan Bingham (Image source: WTSP-TV)

And the Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy was all alone.

Moving closer and noticing two groups fighting, Bingham had to make a quick decision: Should he wait for backup, which could mean others getting hurt...or intervene on his own?

"I acted instead of waiting," Bingham said.

He said he noticed two main aggressors — Josh McMahan, 25, and Justin Lewis, 24, WTSP-TV reported.

At about that moment a bystander began videotaping the intense scene — and the now-viral clip shows Bingham calmly manhandling who Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri called a pair of "thugs."

Here's the clip. (Content warning: Obscenities ahead...):

Bingham tried getting McMahan away from the fight to deescalate matters, grabbing him by the neck, throwing him to the sand and then using a jawline pressure-point technique to subdue him, Bay News 9 reported.

Image source: YouTube

Gualtieri said McMahan then spit in Bingham's face, so the deputy "took him to the ground." The sheriff added that "very few" in the crowd surrounding Bingham came to his aid.

What's more, there was Lewis attempted to intervene — but his fate was similar, as Bingham easily overpowered him...

Image source: YouTube

...and even used what appeared to be a sleeper hold until he was tapping Bingham's shoulder for mercy.

Image source: YouTube

"That was me being in a situation where it is actually equivalent to a deadly force scenario," Bingham said, Bay News 9 reported. "Where again, my main goal is to maintain control of that situation and being justified to do anything at that point in time to make sure I go home at the end of the day and everyone else is safe."

The cheering crowd loved it. Some assisted Bingham by holding Lewis' arms while others kicked sand on McMahan, who was lying flat on his belly in handcuffs.

Image source: YouTube

As to why he didn't employ a taser to subdue the pair, Bingham said he was concerned that the large crowd, many of whom have been drinking, might mistake it for a firearm and panic. "My main goal was to control the crowd," he said.

Gualtieri said five deputies arrived to assist about three minutes after Bingham requested backup, which he considered a normal response time, WTSP reported. The sheriff added to Bay News 9 that Bingham would've been justified in using deadly force if necessary.

"Sergeant Bingham did what he had to do to protect himself and the others out there and he handled the situation extremely well given the circumstances," Gualtieri said. "We're fortunate that he wasn't hurt."

Image source: YouTube

Turns out McMahan and Lewis aren't spring breaker revelers and, in fact, recently got out of prison, Gualtieri told Bay News 9. They were charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct. The sheriff said there would be no internal investigation.

As for Bingham, he said he did nothing more than his duty.

"I appreciate the overwhelming public support for simply doing my job," he told Bay News 9. "I routinely answered a simple call for help."

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