TAMPA, Fla -- A Hillsborough County judge has dropped charges against one of the three men charged for dragging a shark behind a boat. 

  • Judge drops charges 
  • Wildlife officials investigated theshark-dragging video
  • Video shows shark being dragged behind fast-moving boat

Judge Mark Wolfe dismissed charges against Spencer Heintz, 23, of Palmetto. 

Michael Wenzel and Robert Benac are scheduled to appear in court June 31. All three had been charged with various animal cruelty charges.

In the video widely circulated starting in July 2017, the group of men could be seen on a boat, smiling, laughing and pointing at the shark as it flails in the wake behind a fast-moving boat.

That led to an FWC investigation and charges being filed.