Escambia Sheriff on Downtown Shooting, Knock and Announce Ruling, Blue Angels Prep and More

Escambia County, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons joined Pensacola's Morning News Tuesday with a wide-ranging update — weighing in on the downtown Fourth of July shooting, a significant Florida Supreme Court ruling on search warrants, and what to expect at the Blue Angels air show in less than two weeks.

Downtown Fourth of July Shooting

Simmons says the conversation about the downtown shooting needs to start with one key fact — the fireworks ended at 9 p.m. and the shooting happened at 1 a.m. He says the crowd present four hours after fireworks concluded was there for an entirely different reason and that PPD had all hands on deck throughout the evening and handled it as well as they could given the circumstances.

Simmons says he supports curfews but says the real answer starts with parents. He says when his deputies contact families after picking up young people they are often told the parents had no idea where their children were — and says that is not parenting. He recalled a recent beach incident where 13 and 14-year-olds were Ubering to a potential takeover event and says ECSO deployed more than 30 deputies and made clear at the first sign of trouble they would be shutting it down and calling parents. He says parents need to set their own curfews before government has to step in.

Florida Supreme Court Knock and Announce Ruling

The Florida Supreme Court has changed the consequence for officers who fail to properly knock and announce before serving a search warrant. Previously evidence gathered in such searches could be suppressed — now the evidence remains valid but the officer could face criminal charges instead. Simmons says the ruling changes nothing for ECSO. The agency hasn't used no-knock warrants in decades and already follows all knock and announce procedures. He says he personally supports the practice — not just as a legal requirement but because a homeowner who doesn't know who is at the door is likely to start shooting out of fear. He says ECSO evaluates every home and every threat level before serving any search warrant.

Blue Angels — One Week Away

The Blue Angels air show is less than two weeks away and Simmons says crowds at Pensacola Beach are already building. He expects a capacity turnout for the July 15th through 18th performances and says ECSO will be fully deployed alongside state and federal partners, Pensacola Fire, EMS, and beach lifeguards. His message to attendees is simple — pack your patience or ECSO will pack you in the back of a car. He also says deputies will be keeping a close eye on their own hydration given the heat and the demands of working in full gear in summer conditions.

Other Cases

A 15-person warrants sweep in the north end of Escambia County resulted in arrests on charges ranging from failure to register as a sex offender to aggravated battery and stalking. A woman who rammed six or seven vehicles at Walmart while apparently heavily intoxicated — also striking a pedestrian — was pulled from her car through a broken window after she refused to exit and was still trying to drive. A shots fired call at Oakwood Terrace resulted in the arrest of Marcellus Liege who fled on foot before deputies set up a perimeter. And ECSO is still looking for Joshua McKay — wanted on burglary and theft charges including the alleged theft of $30,000 in aluminum handrails from a local business nine months after his release from prison.