Florida Man Nicknamed 'Pork Chop' Buried Boss Alive: Deputies

DEBARY, FL — Whether Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It” was an earworm running through a Florida man’s head on Wednesday morning remains unclear. What is clear is that the 32-year-old DeBary man faces felony charges after Volusia County deputies say he dumped two loads of dirt on his boss following an argument.

The unusual occurrence took place at a Walmart construction site in DeBary. According to an incident report from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Erick Cox reported to the Charles Beall Boulevard construction site where he works around 6:30 a.m. and began arguing with his boss, Perry Byrd, 57, of Orlando.

A witness later told deputies he saw the two men involved in a “disturbance” around 7:15 a.m. A short time later, the witness watched as Cox, a front-end loader operator, proceeded to dump a load of dirt onto Byrd, the report said. While that first load pinned Byrd to the ground, Cox apparently wasn’t satisfied, the report noted.

“Cox proceeded to back up the loader and scoop up more dirt and again dump the load of dirt on top of Byrd, which covered almost half his body,” the report said.

Cox is then accused of getting out of the loader, picking up a 6-foot aluminum level, and repeatedly striking Byrd in the head until he was knocked unconscious, the report said. The witness told deputies Cox stood over the unconscious man “cussing and laughing about the situation.”

Cox told a different version of events, the report noted. He told deputies Byrd spent the morning yelling at him and threatening to beat him. Cox claimed he got off the loader to leave, turned back to shut the machine off and “accidentally bumped the bucket control level as he was reaching for the keys,” the report said. The action, Cox said, caused dirt to fall onto Byrd’s right leg. He did not mention the second load or the alleged beating with the level.

It seems deputies didn’t buy Cox’s version of events. He was booked into the Volusia County Jail on one count of aggravated battery with bodily harm. He was later released, jail records indicate.

As for Byrd, he suffered “significant trauma to the head in particular the right side,” the report noted. He was expected to remain hospitalized for a few days with surgery possibly required.

Cox goes by the nickname of “Pork Chop,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Booking photo courtesy of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office