NJ Barber Bites Customer's Ear Off, Cops Say

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on June 08, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Taking a page from the Mike Tyson playbook, a New Jersey barber, upset with a customer's complaints, left a man with his ear bitten off in addition to a likely lopsided haircut.

Though the unnamed customer probably would have been better off with a scissor-provided dismemberment (apparently clean cuts are easier to reattach), the fact that his ear was bitten off provides us with an opportunity to learn two essential things:

Why you should not harass your barber, and why you shouldn't protect your property with extreme force.

James Dillard, of the Beauty and the Beast Barber Shop in Trenton, New Jersey, was apparently cutting a customer's hair at a snail's pace, reports The Times of Trenton. The customer began to complain about this, which led to an argument.

He then left the barber shop mid-haircut, slamming the glass front door, reports the paper. It shattered.

Dillard went after him, and a scuffle ensued.

The customer was left with his ear bitten off.

Dillard is reportedly being charged with aggravated assault because he caused serious bodily injury to the man.

Even though he was arguably defending his glass door, Dillard is still facing punishment because most states only allow reasonable force when defending one's property. Reasonable force in the context of property that is not one's home generally equates to minimal force--not leaving someone with his ear bitten off.

So, the next time you're in a scuffle with your barber, or over a piece of personal property, think about this story and ask yourself whether you want your ear bitten off, or whether it's worth it to bite someone else's.

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