Background: Seagulls sitting on the railing of a jetty in the harbor in the early morning Sept 2023. Christian Charisius/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images. Inset left to right: Braden Durst and Sebastian Whitesock booking photos from Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
As families frolicked on a South Carolina beach, two men were arrested for allegedly smashing a seagull to death with a large stick because it “bothered” them.
The men, 19-year-old Braden Durst and 20-year-old Sebastian Whitesock, were seen by a witness at Folly Beach on Sept. 16 knocking the bird from the sky and killing it with the stick as they recorded themselves on a cellphone, police said.
An incident report from Folly Beach police noted that when officers first responded to the scene, a man who witnessed the men allegedly abusing the bird pointed Durst and Whitesock out and told officers he saw them record the act.
When police next approached Durst and Whitesock, an officer reported that the men allegedly admitted to killing the bird because it “bothered” them.
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When Whitesock and Durst were asked about the incident being filmed, Durst admitted he recorded them smashing the bird too and handed over his cellphone, police said. When the officer played the video back from a cellphone, records note it “showed Sebastian throwing a large stick at the bird which hit the bird and the bird falls. Sebastian then walks over as he jumps for joy, picks up the stick, and then smashed the bird.”
“It should be noted that there were families out near where the incident took place,” the Folly Beach report stated.
Durst was arrested and charged with ill treatment of animals (torture) and was released on $10,000 bond. Charleston County court records indicate his initial appearance will be Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.
Whitesock was charged with malicious injury to animals and personal property and he posted $1,000 bond, police records show. Whitesock is due next in court on November 3 at 2 p.m.
Whitesock nor Durst could be reached for comment Monday.
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