PPD: Bullet Narrowly Misses Sleeping Resident, Chick-fil-A Crash Caused $50K in Damage

Pensacola, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Pensacola Police are investigating an early-morning incident in which a bullet fired inside a second-floor apartment traveled through the floor and narrowly missed a person sleeping in the apartment below.

Public Information Officer Mike Wood discussed the investigation and several other local law enforcement topics Thursday during an interview on NewsRadio 92.3's Pensacola's Morning News. Wood also provided new information about Wednesday's crash into the Chick-fil-A on Bayou Boulevard, clarified police findings involving an incident at Palafox Market and discussed emerging technology being used by law enforcement agencies to stop fleeing vehicles.

Bullet travels through apartment floor, narrowly misses resident

Wood said police responded early Thursday after a gunshot was fired inside a second-floor apartment on Royce Street.

The bullet traveled through the floor and entered a bedroom in the apartment below, narrowly missing a person who was in bed. No one was injured.

Officers traced the shot to the upstairs apartment and spoke with a woman inside. Wood said she initially gave an officer permission to look through the apartment, but then said she needed to use the bathroom.

The officer checked the bathroom first for possible weapons and instead found what Wood described as approximately a pound of marijuana in the toilet.

The woman later withdrew permission for officers to search the apartment, prompting investigators to obtain a search warrant.

As of Thursday morning, police had not located the gun and were still working to determine how the weapon was fired. Wood said investigators had not yet determined whether the shooting was accidental, intentional or involved some other circumstance.

He said charges are expected as the investigation continues.

PPD estimates $50,000 in damage from Chick-fil-A crash

Wood also provided additional details about Wednesday's crash into the Chick-fil-A on Bayou Boulevard.

According to police, two vehicles were traveling west on Bayou Boulevard when the vehicle in the right lane struck the curb. Wood said it then bounced into the vehicle traveling beside it before veering back to the right, leaving the roadway and crashing into the restaurant.

The driver suffered minor injuries. No one inside the Chick-fil-A was injured.

Wood estimated the crash caused approximately $50,000 in damage to the building.

Police clarify rules following Palafox Market incident

Wood also addressed questions surrounding a recent incident involving an individual at Palafox Market.

According to Wood, PPD and city legal staff reviewed the issue and determined that people generally retain the right to engage in otherwise lawful activity at an event held on public property when access to the event is not controlled.

Wood said that applies to Palafox Market because the event does not have a fenced perimeter or other controlled entrance.

Even when an event has a permit, Wood said an individual can generally remain in the public area and hold a sign, provided that person is not violating a law or ordinance.

Police will still respond when called, but Wood said once officers determine no law or ordinance is being violated, they will move along.

Wood distinguished that from an event where organizers establish a controlled perimeter and regulate admission. In those circumstances, organizers have greater control over who is permitted inside the event area.

The discussion followed a recent incident at Palafox Market that prompted questions about when someone can be trespassed from a permitted event on public property.

Vehicle-stopping 'Grappler' technology discussed

Wood also discussed a law enforcement tool known as the Grappler, which allows an officer pursuing a vehicle to deploy heavy-duty nylon webbing around one of the fleeing vehicle's rear wheels.

The device is mounted to the front of a police vehicle. Once an officer gets close enough, the webbing is deployed and wraps around the target vehicle's wheel and axle, preventing the wheel from continuing to turn and helping bring the vehicle to a stop.

Wood discussed the technology following its use in Kentucky during the apprehension of a suspect accused of fatally shooting a state trooper.

Wood said he was not aware of Pensacola Police currently using Grapplers and estimated the systems cost roughly $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the police vehicle.

He noted that while the technology can stop a fleeing vehicle without the type of collision associated with some other pursuit-ending tactics, it requires the pursuing officer to get extremely close to the suspect's vehicle.

During the interview, Wood was informed that the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office has Grappler-equipped vehicles.

Wood continues support for license plate reader technology

The conversation also returned to automated license plate readers, including Flock cameras.

Wood cited the Kentucky case as an example of license plate reader technology being used to help locate a wanted suspect.

Asked whether Pensacola Police had encountered any local cases during the past week where the absence of Flock cameras hindered an investigation, Wood said he was not aware of one.

He said agencies that continue to use the technology regularly report successful results and expressed hope that similar technology will eventually return locally in some form.

Wood serves as the Pensacola Police Department's public information officer and regularly provides information to local media on department investigations and public safety issues.