PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – A 19-year-old man from Alabama was arrested by the Panama City Beach Police Department after officers say he threw a firework under a police patrol car.
“Let me emphasize what happened here,” said J.R. Talamantez, the chief of police in Panama City Beach. “This guy threw a large firework that exploded under the gas tank of my police officer’s vehicle while my police officer was inside, while he was parked at a gas station with several people around.”
Police said they were called at 12:30 a.m. Thursday to disperse a crowd near Circle K on Front Beach Road.
Officers say that social media showed what happened. The marked patrol car is stopped near a gas pump with its lights flashing in the video. The cop goes back to his car as the crowd spreads out onto South Thomas Drive.
Police later found out that the man in the tape was Dontavius Jules Bradberry. Officials say Bradberry threw the mortar-shaped firework right at the patrol car, where it fell under a fuel tank.
Talamantez said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a long track record of stupidity because it takes a very stupid person to throw a firework at a police officer,”
Police said that this led to a big blast and then another explosion.
Talamantez said that Bradberry left after that. During the inquiry, it was found that Bradberry had left PCB and gone back to Alabama.
“He ran back all the way to Alabama,” Talamantez said.
There were orders out for his arrest. The Panama City, Beach Police Department, got in touch with law officers in Alabama, who found Bradberry and arrested him.
“He’s in custody,” Talamantez said. “They sent us a picture of him in the back of the police car. You can see his sad expression on his face. Not sad because of the actions he committed, but he is probably a little upset that he is caught.”
Bradberry has been accused of throwing a missile that killed someone. He was also charged with aggravated attack on a police officer by the police.
“He’s currently in jail where he needs to be,” Talamantez said.
This case is still going on, and there may be more arrests to come. Call the Panama City Beach Police Department at 850-233-5000 if you know anything about this case.
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