Sean Boone wrote a story about it in this week's
www.WaltonSun.com (sorry for posting the full report, as I cannot link it.)
Incident at local bar raises question of report timeliness
By Sean Boone Sean_boone@link.freedom.com
On the evening of May 17, Luis Perez of Seagrove Beach was involved in an altercation at Caf? Rendez-Vous in Seaside that left him in the hospital with a head injury and a criminal charge of battery.
According to the incident report from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Perez became disorderly and hit a bartender while being escorted out of the bar. Also according to the report, Perez was reportedly hit in the head and taken to Sacred Heart Hospital for evaluation.
Eddie Farris of the WCSO said offi cer Johnny Grantham responded to the incident just after midnight on the 18th, but a report was not completed until later that day. Because of the time lapse, Perez and his wife Suzanne Callahan have suspicions that the report was changed.
“I have no idea what really happened to my husband and he of course only remembers the blow and then waking up,” said Callahan. “If the police had done their job, I would know vital information such as how long my husband was unconscious.
“This is information that certainly should have been given to EMS as well. It is terrifying that these offi cers were so concerned about covering up this story that they could have prevented him from getting the medical attention that he needed.”
Callahan said she received a knock on her door about 3 a.m. from officers who explained that her husband had been charged with battery (hitting a bartender twice), attempting to solicit marijuana to a minor and was taken to Sacred Heart without police escort.
Callahan insists the initial report at her door changed when the fi nal report was released.
“I know my husband does not use drugs,” she said. “They also have not decided if the punches that were thrown were inside or out.”
Perez said he remembers being hit by an elbow when being escorted, but does not believe he ever punched anyone that evening.
“I never gave a statement to the sheriff’s office,” said Perez. “They didn’t want me to fi le a complaint.”
On Wednesday, Farris said neither Perez nor the bartender allegedly involved have come forward with a complaint vital for either to press charges. Farris also admitted that in cases such as this, a report is required to be fi lled out immediately, but said his officer did his job, as the incident was ongoing into the early morning hours.
“He immediately started getting in touch with people,” said Farris. “The offi cer has done his job.”
Callahan disagrees.
“The final bill (at Caf? Rendez-Vous) was $58,” she said. “The staff said he only had one glass of wine.
“I also wonder why they didn’t just take him to jail right then (when he was supposedly being physical)?”
She also believes Perez’s cell phone records were erased from his phone after he was knocked to the ground. She said she had a text message conversation with her husband that evening that was no longer in the phone’s history.
According to Callahan, she delivered a written statement to the state attorney’s offi ce on Tuesday morning and is awaiting their reaction.
“(My husband) definitely has a brain injury,” she said. “He has not been the same since.
“If someone is responsible, I am going after them.”
Caf? Rendez-Vous did not return messages from The Sun.
Because the case is still open, the complete police report is not available for release for a minimum of 60 days or until the case is resolved.
