WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida man walked out of jail after posting bond, days after he allegedly shut off a fellow diver’s oxygen supply during the lobster mini-season.
As he left jail on Wednesday evening, Michael Simpson’s only response to questions on the allegations he was facing was, “Please allow both sides to come out.”
Hours earlier, he stood before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy S. Glazer.
The 51-year-old suspect faced one charge of second-degree felony attempted murder. Investigators said Simpson intentionally shut off a juvenile diver’s air supply while the alleged victim was underwater diving for lobsters just off Fisher Island, this past Wednesday morning.
“Oxygen was allegedly shut off while [the alleged victim] was under the water,” said Glazer. “This is a very serious matter that someone would try to turn off someone’s air tank when they’re swimming, diving.”
The alleged victim’s family provided video from the water appearing to capture the aftermath.
The video showed nearby boaters calling out the man for his alleged actions against the diver with several expletives being used.
Detectives with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said it all started after Simpson and the owner of the boat that the juvenile diver was on got into an alleged dispute regarding their dive locations.
It was then when, authorities said, Simpson threatened to and turned off that young diver’s air supply.
Investigators said that “the [defendant] became irate and stated, “I’ll turn the brownie off if I want to!” all the occupants then observed the defendant swim over to the brownie air supply unit and intentionally turn it off, cutting off the victims air supply.”
Investigators also said the owner of the boat jumped in the water and rescued the boy. When he reached the surface, the juvenile diver appeared to be disoriented, was tangled with the hose and was gasping for air and was confused about what had happened.
Authorities said Simpson boated away and ultimately turned himself into authorities on Tuesday.
Earlier in court on Wednesday afternoon, Simpson’s attorney, Howard Srebnick, maintained his client’s innocence.
Srebnick released a statement, which partially reads:
“He never disabled anyone’s diving equipment. Video footage of the event corroborates that one of the accusers fell off their boat and became entangled in the third lung diving device while Mr. Simpson was nowhere near it.”
Srebnick later told 7News that the state may proceed under a different charge.
“The state actually concurred that the claim of an attempted felony murder is not supported. The state may proceed under a different charge,” he said.
The judge ultimately decided to reduce the charge to attempted second-degree murder during court.
The Miami-Dade County Office of the Mayor confirmed that Simpson was once a member of the county’s Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force, and stated:
“The County’s Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force was created with one goal: to make our waterways safer. The conduct alleged in this case against Michael Joseph Simpson is contrary to that mission.”
The family said Simpson looks forward to clearing his name.
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