A Florida man who attacked his friend with a hatchet after a fight over a broken phone has learned his fate.
Jaquan Sykes, 35, was sentenced this week to two and a half years in prison for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, court records show. But with 626 days of time served, he’ll likely spend around nine more months behind bars, unless something changes.
The case began as a shocking act of revenge. According to investigators, Sykes picked up two friends, a man and a woman, just before 1 a.m. on January 30, 2022. The three drove to the Oneco Rose liquor store to grab a bottle. When they arrived, Sykes and the male friend got out of the car and walked to the back of the store.
“Jaquan wanted to talk,” the man later told the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, according to an arrest warrant reviewed by Law&Crime. But that “talk” quickly turned violent.
Sykes “attacked” his friend, using a hatchet wrapped with para cord. It is a type of rope originally designed for parachutes during World War II.
“He said that he was struck multiple times on his upper body and sustained multiple lacerations to his head,” the document said. “He suffered multiple fractured bones and has pins in his body holding the bones aligned.” The injuries were so severe that the victim needed surgery.
“During the attack the victim stated that he heard Jaquan saying he was going to kill him,” the warrant reads. As he tried to get away, the victim heard Sykes yell, “So now you wanna beg for your life.” After the assault, Sykes went back to the vehicle alone. He allegedly told the woman, “she needed to go find the victim and check on him.” She got out, just in time to see him drive off. As he sped away, Sykes reportedly shouted, “That was for breaking my phone.”
The woman then found the victim “left in the roadway,” badly injured and bleeding. Deputies later said he had “serious injuries to his arms, torso and head.” He was rushed to a hospital and was expected to recover. Both the woman and the victim identified Sykes, also known by his nickname “Quan,” as the attacker.
The victim told police he believed the assault was over an accident from Christmas, when he had broken Sykes’ phone. “He has already replaced the phone he broke of his so he is unsure why he would still be mad,” the warrant noted.
The same report said Sykes later threatened both the victim and the witness. The hatchet used in the attack was never found.
