Iowa man accused of biting off another man's nose

[August 01, 2008]  IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- An alcohol-fueled argument between two friends degenerated into a fight in which one man bit off the other man's nose, police said.

Donroy Merrival was charged Tuesday with willful injury stemming from the July 24 fight. He also faced charges in an unrelated incident a couple of days later.

Authorities said he was drinking with another man when they started arguing and the other man hit him with a shovel. They say Merrival responded by biting off the man's nose and part of his lip.

"He's a heavy drinker and sometimes when he drinks he changes and gets real nasty," the injured man, Matthew Osing, told KCRG-TV.

He acknowledged hitting Merrival with a shovel, saying, "He was crouched down ready to pounce on me and he was scaring me. ... He jumped up and grabbed me by my face and grabbed my nose and bit it off."

The nose was not recovered but police say Merrival didn't think he swallowed it.

"I don't know if he swallowed it or if my dogs might have eaten it, I don't know," Osing said.

Both men were taken to the hospital for treatment. Police Sgt. Troy Kelsay said the victim was not justified in hitting Merrival with a shovel in the first place and it is possible more charges could be filed.

[Associated Press]

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