This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
An alcohol-fueled fight left a Cedar City man with his nose hanging by a shred of skin and his former friend in jail, accused of chewing off the ill-fated proboscis.
Cedar City police were called to Valley View Medical Center about 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 23, where they found the victim, severely beaten and with his nose all but chewed off. The man told police he and the suspect at been drinking together inside an apartment at 156 N. 500 West when they began to fight.
When officers located the 30-year-old suspect, he told them the victim had started the altercation. While the suspect said he did not recall clamping his teeth onto the victim's nose, he said he had "used all the force necessary to survive."
The suspect remained in the Iron County jail on Thursday in lieu of $13,100 bail. Fifth District Court records show he has been charged with second-degree felony mayhem as well as numerous misdemeanor counts ranging from assault and possession of drugs to driving without insurance.
The victim was expected to require extensive plastic surgery to repair the damage to his face.
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