Just what happened in Panama City Beach?

A suspect still remains at large after a pursuit of a suspected drunk driver ended in a deadly rear-end collision, according to the Panama City News Herald.

Two of the victims sons arrived on the scene of the crash shortly after and some sort of confrontation ensued. The sons claimed a plain clothes man claiming to be a police officer, despite being told they were family members of the deceased, inappropriately assaulted the brothers and violently forced them to the ground and handcuffed them. Officers say the sons refused to identify themselves and were thus during their job in keeping the crime scene clear of outsiders.

According to the News Herald article:

[Cmdr. Michael] Moring wrote that he identified himself as a police officer and asked them who they were, but the brothers told him their identities were none of his business. Moring said he told them to identify themselves and then “physically stopped one of the unknown white males from entering the crime scene.” The second male “drew his right arm back with a balled fist as if he were about to strike me.”

A physical altercation ensued and the men, Jeff and Terry Lenz, were taken to the ground and handcuffed.

The other three officers offered similar accounts of the incident.

Watch the sons account of events:




What really took place will probably never be absolutely known. This problem just goes to show the effects of poor policy and decision making by law enforcement. A pursuit of a suspected drunk driver should never ensue, and difficult decisions soaked in tense emotions should never have to be made.

One thing is for sure, Paul Lenz in dead.