By Ed Offley
City officials have reacted with a combination of fury and quiet resolve after two shooting incidents five days apart marred Spring Break despite enhanced security measures aimed at protecting the public.
The more serious incident occurred at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29, when three teenagers from Dothan, Alabama opened fire in a crowd outside The Grand theater at Pier Park, wounding three other youths with non-life-threatening injuries. Following an intense investigation, police on April 4 announced the arrest of Kevin Tyrone Moore, 18, and Jamarion Lamont Baker, 15, on multiple attempted murder charges. The third juvenile, Avaughn Brown, 17, turned himself in and faces charges of possession of a firearm by a minor and possession of marihuana and drug paraphernalia.
Panama City Beach police said the shooting incident stemmed from a conflict between two Dothan street gangs.
The second incident occurred at 11:16 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 in the parking lot of Longboards Restaurant Bar at 8746 Thomas Drive. Isaiah McKenzie, 19, also of Dothan, discharged a 9-mm handgun four times into the air from a car window in the crowded parking lot. He was quickly arrested by police who were nearby investigating an unrelated incident where a man threatened a patron of Hammerhead Fred’s with a handgun. McKenzie has been charged with six felonies including discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a person and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony offense.
In both instances, police responded in force within seconds of the shootings. “At Pier Park, we responded within seconds, with five officers sprinting toward the gunfire,” PCB Mayor Stuart Tettemer told PCB Life. “We had 50 officers at Pier Park, and within five minutes over 100 police were on scene.”
Police and Pier Park management also imposed mandatory bag checks for anyone entering the pedestrian-only area on Pier Park Drive between the Skywheel and Front Beach Road, Tettemer added.
In response to the shootings and a broader outbreak of minor crimes by teenagers visiting Panama City Beach for high school Spring Break, PCB Police Chief J.R. Talamantez posted a fiery statement on Facebook condemning “the ones who came here to cause trouble.”
“If you came with guns, bad intentions, and no respect for this city, we saw you. You thought you could blend in and get away with it. You were wrong,” Talamantez wrote. “Our officers were ready, and many of you ended up in handcuffs.”
Talamantez, a 21-year veteran of the Beach police, then ignited a viral public debate when he addressed the citywide community on the department’s Facebook page: “Panama City Beach can no longer be a Spring Break town. That time is over. Every year we try to manage it. And every year it brings more challenges. I’m not willing to risk the safety of our city to hold on to something that no longer works.”
“And let me be clear, our law enforcement officers should not be expected to shoulder the burden of an event that no longer aligns with the values or vision of this community,” Talamantez continued. “It’s unfair to continue placing that weight on the backs of the men and women who serve and protect this city every day.”
In less than two weeks, the police chief’s message had garnered over 6,500 comments from city residents, tourists and other concerned individuals, and it was shared over 30,000 times.
Tettemer praised Talamantez as “a passionate public safety officer,” but said the violence has prompted him to summon a coalition of elected officials, Tourist Development Council members, and major tourism stakeholders to craft a citywide solution to Spring Break violence. The effort will continue throughout the rest of the year.
“There are two Spring Breaks,” Tettemer said. “College Spring Break [this year] was pretty tame. It was high school Spring Break that made all of the headlines.”
Tettemer said it is too early to list specific goals or policy changes, but he indicated that a public education effort advising Spring Breakers of the enhanced security plans and police presence can and should be expanded.
Another element will be for the city to persuade a number of clubs and event promoters that still aggressively target high school students to shift their advertising and social media efforts away from depicting PCB as a wild beach party.
“The party atmosphere created by these clubs is creating a public safety problem,” Tettemer said. “Panama City Beach has already passed by on Spring Break except for a handful of event promoters and short-term [rental] slumlords.”
“We have a lot of people highly incentivized to make sure this is a family-friendly community,” he said.
The future of Spring Break did not come up during City Council’s meeting on April 24, although Councilmen and members of the public praised the First Responders for their service.
The Facebook post on Spring Break crimes by Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez on April 13 quickly went viral, with over 6,5000 comments and 30,000 shares. Here is a sample of comments by city residents, visitors and concerned citizens.
Rebecca DeBell: “It is definitely time to take our beach back. No more unruly, disrespectful visitors.”
Tim Kretzer, a security supervisor at one Beach condominium, wrote that one recurring problem is that some parents book rooms for their under-age children who then come down to the Beach without adult supervision. “We are thankful and appreciate the great job that PCB Police, BCSO and First Responders do.”
Resident Sharlette Sharp: “I live here and have never felt more unsafe.” While she and her husband and two-month-old son were dining at Pineapple Willy’s, she went to use the diaper changing station and found it littered with marijuana.
Elizabeth Harmon: “I just wanna know, and this is an honest question … I wanna know HOW cities ‘ban spring break’? There’s no way they shut down all the vacation rentals and businesses. What are the logistics of this?”
Lisa Black: “You can’t even call this Spring Breakers …. They didn’t come to enjoy the beach or the amenities. The people who came to our town came to disrupt and destroy.
Mary and Greg Richardson: “As residents, we should not be quarantined or be advised to be cautious and over alert in our neighborhoods or areas we shop due to a group of misfits coming to our town to wreak havoc on those who live here(or) honestly want a relaxing vacation here! No more! Thank you Chief Talamantez and the Panama City Beach Police Department.
Brooklyn Kadie: “We are looking forward to a low-key family friendly PCB again.
Mary Jo Abrams: “I hope they cancel it [Spring Break] altogether! PCB used to be our favorite spot. … Kids are ruining it.
David Bickham: “This town is lucky to have you leading the charge.”
Peggy Wilson: “Chief Talamantez, thank you for leading by example for the many officers from our local and surrounding communities who dealt with these idiots the past few weeks. I saw you outside in the middle of it …. ”
Cheri Bruckner: “Time to throw in the towel. Can’t fix crazy. Let’s take back our city.”
Hannah Griffith: “If you shut everyone out of ‘this family community,’ your community will have no money, as most of the profits the city makes … comes from the ‘spring break, summer seasons.’ The whole idea while good intentioned may have a worse effect than you might think.”
