Point Washington Manhunt Over

[Kurt]

'Looking into the eyes of a dead man': Witness recalls end of manhunt | wife, home, arrived - News - The News Herald

By CHICK HUETTEL

On Sunday, when my wife and I arrived home from church, we heard yelling:

“Get down! Get down or we will shoot!”

It was the voices of deputies.

It was happening all over again within three days. So I pushed my wife inside the house, put on my old police revolver and waited outside.

Then came a gunshot.

The hunted fugitive had been spending his evenings hidden somewhere near our home but unable to move because of the alert from the sheriff’s department. The next day, neighbors were complaining the sheriff moved the search cars and teams out of the vicinity too fast. Yet, unknown to our residents, the officers lay hidden about the area.

I waited awhile, then squad cars came zooming past. One stopped for me as I stood in the road. I recognized him. His words were powerful:

“It’s all over.”

Matheos Pitikas, age 24, had been sighted a block from our home on the move by a deputy and then some residents. He had been holed up deep in the woods or in a shed.

The one shot was heard when he was cornered by a dog and approaching officers. Pitikas had one bullet left in his automatic, and that bullet was destined for his head. Read 'Surrounded, fugitive kills self in Walton' ?

Gerald Wynn and his wife, neighbors of mine down the street, saw him in their yard. Sondra was out on the porch and yelled, “There he is!”

Matheos, with no shirt and only shorts, was ripped to pieces by the scrub brushes he had been trying to use for cover during his desperate days. His flesh had been torn by brambles and stinging palmettos, plus the agony of being barefooted, and he was now facing doom. Desperately he was trying to work his way along a fence line. The horror of surviving with no shoes, later on, went even deeper into my psyche.

But his suffering was for naught. The forces were closing in.

And there, behind a tin outbuilding, surrounded, his mind must have spun beyond our capacity: All was lost.

Perhaps his reasoning, according to an officer on scene, was that he was not sure if he had killed a deputy in the vehicle pursuit or while firing at them when his truck came crashing in a field off Bay Drive.

Why, he probably wondered, was his life to end someplace he never envisioned, somewhere foreign and in circumstances beyond his imagination? Was it better to end everything quickly, rather than be captured and wait for the day for the State of Florida to inject a needle into his arm - the most likely penalty if he killed someone in his wild shooting spree?

It must have seemed hopeless.

Hearing the lawmen’s voices and the wail of sirens, exhausted from dehydration and chewed alive from insects and uncaring thorns, the bank robber placed the 9 millimeter automatic to his head.

He had one bullet left.

Matheos probably said some words that were special to himself, and pulled the trigger.

That “bang” was what my wife and I heard. The ending of a life.

It was over. Our neighborhood was back to some quiet. No, not normal. It would not be normal for years to come. The fragility of hideous danger, ultimately the death of a stranger who had come crashing into our hamlet would no doubt haunt us.

Pitikas decided his fate. Thankfully, a different outcome that could have ruined the lives of our deputies and their families was averted. His reckless and uncaring shooting at officers and possibly striking an unknowing Walton resident was his survival mentality.

Matheos had a violent past, but he had one redeeming value. He never burst into a home and took hostages in our neighborhood. Perhaps he knew we had been so alerted that had he tried to enter a home, he would have met a person determined to defend his or her family. That we will never know.

I talked to our sheriff after the encounter on the road. He was not happy about the outcome. He had hoped for an apprehension.

“Chick, a life lost, no matter the situation, is horrific. He was so young… what a waste. We have to thank God for the safety of these people in the neighborhood. I know I will at church next time,” he told me afterwards.

I stood there near the metal death shed. I was relieved, but so wrapped up in emotion because of the gruesome days. Being shot at, meeting the suspect face to face, having my pistol on my side and next to my bed, wondering whenever I opened a door to my tool room, studio or car, even what awaited me around the corner of my house all wore on me.

I greeted the other officers whom I had the privilege to meet during those horrendous days. What great men, but they, too, were quiet. It was no time for celebration.

I walked back home down our sand road, behind me were flashing lights and squawking radios from the squad cars. I wanted to be alone. I can say honestly I downed three beers quickly as I sat on my porch overlooking the bay.

I had experienced this stuff while on Memphis Police Department, but it made no difference.

It never makes any difference.

You never can lose the feeling of encountering a violent event.

I was hot and sweaty wet. A slow-moving barge went by and two sparrows bathed in the birdbath. I went deep inside myself. The men on the barge never knew of the events and the small birds splashing seemed even less caring.

I found myself praying and giving thanks for the safety of our officers, my neighbors, and yes, even for Matheos Pitikas.

What events in his short life led me to meeting him but hours before one never knows, yet when we looked at each other, I never knew I was looking into the eyes of a dead man.

 

[DuneAHH]

'Looking into the eyes of a dead man': Witness recalls end of manhunt | wife, home, arrived - News - The News Herald

By CHICK HUETTEL

Thanks Kurt for posting this.

Greater Thanks to Chick for writing this beautiful piece. For myself, I feel THIS may be the very reason you "met" him... to bring us this thoughtful summation on difficulty.

Well Done.

 

[ShallowsNole]

I read Chick's second article while on break this afternoon. I had to stop and head into the back room to dry my eyes. Absolutely beautiful and very eloquent.

Up until reading that, I was simply glad the threat is over, and yes, that a couple of states have been saved the expense of housing him, a trial, and prison. Also, my perspective is that, even though he didn't harm any civilians, this young man would have blown my husband's head off in an instant and not thought twice about it, just to keep from going to prison for a bank robbery. Yes, I know my spouse chose to be a law enforcement officer, and I knew of the danger when I married him. Only difference is that, when I married him, stuff like this didn't happen here, and the improbability of such a thing made it easy to keep it from being in the forefront of my mind. Now, that uneasy feeling just won't go away. Perhaps with time I'll be able to compartmentalize it again. Maybe.

I still wonder why, though...and even though there are troubled youth and young adults all over, I wonder what happened in this young man's life to cause this - why it had to happen at all.

 

[Miss Critter]

Mr. Huettel's moving account of recent events is especially poignant given the fact that he was the only civilian fired upon throughout this ordeal. That he can find it in his heart to feel compassion for lost soul who threatened his own safety speaks volumes for his character. I do not know Mr. Huettel, but it is obvious to me that he does more than simply attend church on Sundays; he lives his faith. Which I find both refreshing and inspirational. Thank you, Mr. Huettel.

 

[graytonbeachguy]

Northwest Florida Daily News story posted about an hour ago:

POINT WASHINGTON — The saga involving a Texas fugitive, who committed suicide 48 hours after leading a high-speed car chase and then fleeing into a wooded area, is “essentially a closed case,” said Walton County’s sheriff.
It’s still not known where 24-year-old Matheos Pitikas was hiding between Friday afternoon, when he fled into the woods near County Road 283 and Chrysler Avenue, and early Sunday afternoon. That’s when he shot and killed himself as deputies from Okaloosa and Walton counties closed in on him behind a home on Oak Avenue.
Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson said he killed himself using the last bullet in his 9 mm semi-automatic.
To watch a video about the manhunt, click here.
To see a photo gallery from Day One, click here.
To see a photo gallery from Day Two, click here.
To see a photo gallery from Day Three, click here.
A.J. Dubuisson, owner of AJ’s Plumbing in Point Washington, said Monday that he had heard from a neighbor that Pitikas was staying for most of that 48-hour period at a bay-front home about 300 yards from where he died.
But Adkinson said there is “no indication from our standpoint that he was ever in a home,” and that he was almost certainly hunkered down in the surrounding woods. That’s based on the fact that he was dirty, his body was covered in mosquito bites and scratches, and he was dressed the same way — wearing only blue shorts, no shirt or shoes — as when he disappeared.
Law enforcement officials fielded numerous calls from residents over the weekend calling to say they had seen him. But nothing panned out until Sunday, when Adkinson said two different residents called to say they had spotted Pitikas walking through the back yard of a home on Oak Avenue.
Fortunately, deputies were in the immediate vicinity.
“I think it surprised him that there were multiple deputies still in the area,” Adkinson said, adding that the deputies cornered him behind a shed but did not actually see him shoot himself.
Neighbors reported hearing only one gunshot.
The weekend manhunt was the largest ever launched in Walton County and involved more than 130 law enforcement officials from Walton, Okaloosa and Bay counties, as well as officials from multiple state agencies, including the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Three helicopters, eight K-9 units, three SWAT teams and a couple of boats also were used, Adkinson said, but unfortunately, catching a suspect is “not quite like TV.”
For example, the K-9 units may have lost Pitikas’ scent if he went into the water, he said, and could have been distracted by the multiple activities by both officials and residents that were happening at the same time.
Point Washington resident Kayla Murphy said overall, she is happy with officials’ response.
“It’s not standard practice, I’m sure,” she added. “They were checking vehicles that were leaving the neighborhood and set up roadblocks at both ends of Point Washington. There really are only two ways out.”
The ordeal began around 12:30 p.m. Friday near the Whale’s Tail restaurant in Miramar Beach.
Pitikas had an arrest warrant out of Harris County in Texas on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in connection with a bank robbery on July 25.
Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson said Monday that the Sheriff’s Office recently had received a BOLO (“Be On the Lookout”) warning them that Pitikas could be in the area.
Pitikas’ blue pickup truck was spotted parked near the Majestic Sun, Adkinson said, and several deputies approached the vehicle with their guns drawn. Pitikas fired off several shots and struck a deputy with his truck — hurting the deputy’s knee — then sped east on Scenic Gulf Drive.
A witness said he later saw Pitikas head back west with deputies in close pursuit.
During the chase, Pitikas continued shooting at law enforcement officers — including at Adkinson, who was having lunch nearby when the incident began to unfold and immediately joined the chase.
Pitikas eventually turned from U.S. Highway 98 onto County Road 283, headed toward Choctawhatchee Bay.
Dubuisson said his girlfriend was turning right onto County Road 283 when Pitikas turned onto the road from the other direction. She “looked up and saw the whites of his eyes. That’s how close he was to her,” Dubuisson added.
Pitikas drove a short distance on the road before crashing the truck at the intersection with Chrysler Avenue.
From there, he fled into the surrounding woods.
By the time his girlfriend turned onto County Road 283 to get back home, Dubuisson said, the road already had been blocked off.
“It was very efficient,” Murphy concurred.
Pitikas chose a bad area to hole up, Dubuisson said, because many people in the small community own guns and would not have hesitated to use them to protect their families and properties.
“If he’d gone to WaterColor or something where nobody’s living, people are more willing to go inside and lock their doors and not live their lives,” and it might have been different, he added. “People in this neighborhood, they want to do what they want to do … .
“We appreciate the law here, but I’m not necessarily looking for them to take care of me. I just want them to catch the guy and get out of my neighborhood.”
Adkinson said it is not known why Pitikas was in South Walton or how long he was there.
Officials kept residents informed using the “RapidNotify” phone system.
“It had been used for natural disasters, but this was the first time we used it in a criminal situation,” Adkinson said.
Area residents received automated phone calls on Friday evening telling them to stay indoors with their doors locked, as well as on Sunday to let people know that it was safe.

 

[Matt J]

I read Chick's second article while on break this afternoon. I had to stop and head into the back room to dry my eyes. Absolutely beautiful and very eloquent.

Up until reading that, I was simply glad the threat is over, and yes, that a couple of states have been saved the expense of housing him, a trial, and prison. Also, my perspective is that, even though he didn't harm any civilians, this young man would have blown my husband's head off in an instant and not thought twice about it, just to keep from going to prison for a bank robbery. Yes, I know my spouse chose to be a law enforcement officer, and I knew of the danger when I married him. Only difference is that, when I married him, stuff like this didn't happen here, and the improbability of such a thing made it easy to keep it from being in the forefront of my mind. Now, that uneasy feeling just won't go away. Perhaps with time I'll be able to compartmentalize it again. Maybe.

I still wonder why, though...and even though there are troubled youth and young adults all over, I wonder what happened in this young man's life to cause this - why it had to happen at all.

I don't remember who said it or if it's even credited, but a friend of mine used to say that a cops wife's happiest day is the day she gets married and the second happiest is the day he retires.

Thanks to the WCSO for all they do. It's an incredibly tough job to protect those that question your actions in protecting their lives.

 

[Kurt]

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission dudes looked like they were ready for war. Is that because hunters with guns are such a threat, because there are a lot of people in the woods with guns, or they are trained to hunt men in the woods?

Federal Bureau of Tobacco Alcohol Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had a couple of guys in a hazmat truck helping. "We are everywhere", the extremely large man in the passenger seat replied.

The WCSO automated calls were very effective.

Note to WCSO: great job!

Although assistance was appreciated, we hope next time officials will remember that there are 2 schools in Point Washington behind Bay Elementary and that they deserve the same swift response.

The rangers at Eden State Park were not in the loop.

There are a lot of guns and dogs in Point Washington. There will be a lot more by the end of the week.

 

[momof2kids]

There are a lot of guns and dogs in Point Washington. There will be a lot more by the end of the week.

:funn:


I got a kick out of this line because Mr. momof2kids wanted me to get a gun not too long ago... I'm thinking that isn't such a bad idea at this time... (we have a dog already)

 

[beachmouse]

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission dudes looked like they were ready for war. Is that because hunters with guns are such a threat, because there are a lot of people in the woods with guns, or they are trained to hunt men in the woods?

Not just men, but also bears, panthers, wild boars, gators, Burmese pythons... Take more firepower to stop a 500+ pound crazy piggie in the woods than a 150 pound human being, and it's not like you can reason with the pig.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Mr. Huettel's moving account of recent events is especially poignant given the fact that he was the only civilian fired upon throughout this ordeal. That he can find it in his heart to feel compassion for lost soul who threatened his own safety speaks volumes for his character. I do not know Mr. Huettel, but it is obvious to me that he does more than simply attend church on Sundays; he lives his faith. Which I find both refreshing and inspirational. Thank you, Mr. Huettel.

FYI- I understand that the bullet that hit the house beside Mr Huettel was fired by a Deputy Sheriff, not the bank robbery suspect. Mr Huettel was in between the cops and the suspect.