Professional combat athlete Joe Schilling was granted immunity from a civil lawsuit after Broward (Florida) County Court Judge Fabian E. Vannostock said the fighter acted in self-defense when he knocked out Justin Balboa at a restaurant several years ago.
The judge said Schilling’s defense was justified under the state’s “stand your ground” laws.
In 2021, a video of Schilling knocking Balboa goes viral after being posted online.
At the beginning of the video, Joe can be seen pushing a man who was standing next to the bar in a shirt and tie. When the man makes an exception for payment, he calls Joe back to confront him. A decision he would likely later regret, Schilling turned around and exchanged a few words with the man, before firing a 2-3 combination that sent the bar patrons falling to the floor, hard and steady.
This man, who later became known as Balboa, filed a lawsuit stating that he was “violently attacked, physically beaten, and assaulted” during the altercation at B Square Burgers.
Balboa also sued the restaurant’s parent company for negligence in allowing the incident to happen, according to the Article by MMA Fighting.
Balboa-Conforte’s attorney said his client had a “substantial damages claim” and sought damages in excess of $30,000 from the defendants.
“The court also found that Schilling used only necessary force to neutralize the threat and was therefore entitled to immunity,” Fahnstock wrote in the court order.
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