Attorney for man accused of throwing rock at endangered Hawaiian monk seal says client was protecting turtles

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...