The attorney for a businessman accused of harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal is publicly defending his client after a viral video captured the incident and sparked outrage online.

Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, is accused of throwing a rock at the head of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal — one of the rarest marine mammals in the world — earlier this month in an incident caught on camera by beachgoers.

Lytvynchuk was arrested near Seattle last week and charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered animal in violation of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the Department of Justice.

If convicted, he could face up to one year in prison on each charge, along with a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED FOR SHOOTING NEIGHBOR’S PREGNANT COW AFTER IT WANDERED ONTO HIS PROPERTY

Lytvynchuk’s attorney, Myles Breiner, recently defended his client, saying he never intended to injure the animal.

“I want to be resoundingly clear to the public — he never intended to injure the monk seal,” Breiner told KHON-TV News.

According to Breiner, Lytvynchuk believed he was protecting sea turtles, or honu, resting on shoreline rocks.

AGGRESSIVE SEA LION ATTACKS BEACHGOERS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, VIDEO SHOWS

“He wanted to scare the seal away from the honu he saw there,” he said. “Apparently, there were two large turtles and one had already been knocked off the rock by the seal.”

Breiner also said his client did not know Hawaiian monk seals are an endangered species and was influenced by prior experiences with aggressive sea lions while fishing in Washington state.

“Sea lions are very aggressive,” Breiner said. “They’ll take your bait, they’ll take your fish — that’s been his experience.”

WEALTHY REAL ESTATE BROTHERS FACE NEW LAWSUITS AS DEFENSE CLAIMS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION WAS ORCHESTRATED

Prosecutors say a viral video and witness accounts helped lead to the charge. According to the complaint, Lytvynchuk told witnesses he was “rich enough to pay the fines,” a characterization his attorney disputes.

“What are you doing? Why would you throw a rock at it? Hello?” a woman can be heard shouting in the video as a man wearing a white shirt and swim trunks throws a rock toward the seal on a Maui shoreline.

After witnesses confronted him, Lytvynchuk allegedly responded he was “rich enough to pay the fines” if he got into trouble.

PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE IN TEEN GIRL’S BOAT DEATH

Business records show Lytvynchuk owns a logistics and trucking company based in Kent, Washington.

Breiner said his client plans to take responsibility for violating the law but disputes claims that he intentionally tried to hurt the seal.

“He recognizes he made a bad decision, but the decision wasn’t based on trying to hurt the animal,” Breiner said.

MAN WHO WENT VIRAL FOR HECKLING WINSOME SEARS WITH RACIST COMMENT DEALT ANOTHER BLOW AFTER GETTING FIRED

The attorney also pushed back on reports claiming Lytvynchuk said he was wealthy enough to pay any fines.

“That was a misinterpretation,” Breiner said. “The statement was, ‘I can afford it.’”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Breiner for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

It took just 22 minutes for shocking chaos to erupt at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.

A French football match descended into a terrifying riot, forcing players to flee for their lives. The Ligue 1 clash between FC Nantes and Toulouse FC was abruptly abandoned.

WATCH:

A massive mob of hooded ultras breached stadium security, stormed the pitch and turned the arena into a war zone. The score was tied at 0-0 when the stadium erupted in violence.

Dozens of furious Nantes supporters were angry over their team’s abysmal season. They overwhelmed stewards and smashed through security barriers.

POLICE ARREST FIGHT SUSPECTS AT ISRAEL-FRANCE SOCCER GAME DAYS AFTER ATTACKS ON ISRAELI FANS IN AMSTERDAM

Clad in black and concealing their faces, the rioters hurled dangerous flares and pyrotechnics directly onto the playing surface. Terrified players from both teams broke into a sprint. They rushed down the tunnel to the safety of the locker rooms as the pitch was overrun.

Riot police equipped with tactical gear were forced to march onto the field to quell the escalating unrest.

After a tense standoff, police successfully pushed the invading supporters back into the stands. Refereeing officials and local authorities quickly determined that player safety could no longer be guaranteed, and the match was permanently called off.

SAN DIEGO SOCCER TEAM ENHANCES SECURITY TO EJECT FANS WHO USE COMMON MEXICAN ‘ANTI-GAY’ CHANT DURING GAME

The shocking security failure immediately drew condemnation from the highest levels of the French government.

France’s Minister of Sports, Marina Ferrari, blasted the rioters on social media, labeling the dangerous pitch invasion “unacceptable.”

French football officials are now facing intense pressure to clamp down on the country’s rampant hooliganism problem. Nantes is expected to face severe punishments. For a club already facing relegation on the pitch, their own fans may have just dealt them the final, crushing blow.

Send us your thoughts: [email protected] / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela 

“Knot’s Landing” star Donna Mills is doubling down after she went viral for her defiant response to a critic who took aim at her appearance.

Last month, the 85-year-old actress ignited a social media firestorm when she shared a video addressing an Instagram user’s comment that she wears “too much makeup for your age.”

In the clip, Mills first appeared in her usual full-glam style before briefly transforming into stereotypical elderly woman with gray hair, pearls and wire-rimmed glasses.

“Did you want me to look like this?” she asked with a chuckle. “Sorry, not sorry.”

‘KNOTS LANDING’ STAR DONNA MILLS HITS BACK AFTER CRITIC SAYS SHE WEARS ‘TOO MUCH MAKEUP’ FOR HER AGE

The clip cut back to Mills in her previous chic look as she said, “I like the way I look. This is my style, and style doesn’t have an expiration date.”

Mills’ video quickly spread across social media, garnering over 125,000 likes and winning praise in the comments from fans and celebrities, including Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Kyle Richardson, Elizabeth Berkley, Nancy Sinatra and Dawn Robinson among others.

On Tuesday, Mills made an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show to discuss her viral moment as the TV host noted that the actress’s video had racked up over 1.8 million views.

JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT SLAMS AGEISM IN HOLLYWOOD, SAYS ‘IT’S HURTFUL’ TO FEEL REJECTED

While explaining why she decided to respond to the critic, Mills pointed out that the comment was about more than just her appearance.

“I don’t get those comments a lot, but when I do, it’s like, ‘Who is this person? What do they think about women?'” Mills said.

“It’s not just about me,” she continued. “It’s about women in general and the way women feel about themselves, right?

APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST 

‘BEWITCHED’ ACTRESS ERIN MURPHY POSTS BAREFACED PHOTO TO SHUT DOWN PERSISTENT FACELIFT RUMORS

“So that’s why I wanted to shout back at them and say, ‘Wait a minute. No, no, I don’t accept that.’ And I’m not going to be quiet about it,” Mills added.

Mills recalled being “totally surprised” by the viral reaction but appreciative that her message about aging and confidence struck a chord.

“I was just grateful that people were hearing,” she said. “Because I’ve really feel like I have something to say to women. I want to say something to women and I want to help.”

‘LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE’ STAR MELISSA GILBERT ‘HAD TO LEAVE LOS ANGELES’ TO AGE GRACEFULLY

Addressing the broader conversation sparked by Mills’ video, Hall asked, “With all of these empowering messages, why do people still feel so comfortable telling women how they should dress and look at a certain age?”

“It just seems to me that they have been hearing it for many years,” Mills responded. “And it’s a new age now. It’s a new time. We’re living longer.”

MARTHA STEWART SHARES 7 TIPS FOR AGING WELL: ‘LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, BE GOOD’

“We’re healthier,” she continued. “We can be healthier “So, this isn’t like the end. You don’t hit 70 or 75 or 80 and it’s over.”

“No, it’s just a new time.”

The “Play Misty for Me” star underscored the link between self-image and personal happiness, saying, “I really feel like when you look good and you know you look good, you feel good, right?”

Mills shared that she also experiences moments of self-doubt after Hall asked her how she maintains her self-confidence in a “business that is not forgiving to women and aging.”

“When I look in the mirror, I see everything that’s wrong,” Mills admitted.

“So then, how can you tell us to see what’s right?” Hall asked.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

“Well, I fix it,” Mills said to laughter from the audience.

Earlier this month, Mills reacted to becoming a social media sensation in a post she shared on Instagram.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

“If you told me at 85 I’d be going viral on social media, I wouldn’t have believed you…but here we are,” she wrote alongside a screenshot of an article about her video.

“I’ve spent a lifetime speaking up and speaking out, and I’ve always believed it lands best with a wink, not a jab,” she added. I’m so glad this moment found its audience exactly as intended.”

Mills rose to fame when she starred as the scheming divorcee Abby Cunningham in the long-running soap opera “Knots Landing” from 1980 to 1989. Abby was known for her glamorous makeup, styled blonde hair and power-dressing wardrobe.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

The actress will next be seen starring as Dr. Karen Carden in Terrance Tykeem’s upcoming thriller “Abused,” which follows “what happens when six survivors of abuse are re-traumatized by a madman.” “Abused” is slated to be released this summer.