Armed Neighbors Charged in Florida 'Pirate' Attack

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The life of a pirate is not an easy one, as a Florida man dressed in a "Pirates of the Caribbean" costume discovered when he was attacked by two armed neighbors.

Larry Harcar, a fan of the hit film franchise starring Johnny Depp as pirate Jack Sparrow, was walking in his neighborhood in full costume -- toy gun and sword included -- when two spooked neighbors mistook him for a thief, the SunSentinel newspaper reported Monday.

The neighbors, Ahmed Othman, 24, and Muhamad Ahmad, 22, alerted police, pursued Harcar and then took matters into their own hands when they found him in a residential building in Dania Beach, Florida.

The two men pulled their guns out, forced Harcar to the ground and held a pistol to his head while verbally abusing the devoted Jack Sparrow fan.

Othman said he was "scared" by the costume, according to detective Stephanie Newton from the Broward Sheriff's Office.

The pair was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, battery and false imprisonment and were released on bail after paying $8,500 each, the newspaper reported.

Harcar, 49, said he frequently dresses as Jack Sparrow for fun and was returning home to fix his costume when the men accosted him.

Othman's lawyer, Lawrence Hashish, said the incident was a mistake.

"All of this is really just a misunderstanding," he said. "The man had a gun and a sword, and they didn't know they were toys."

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