Man Busted After Drunken Night At Whataburger; Deputy Death Threat

October 26, 2010

A Century man was jailed for creating a drunken disturbance at a Century restaurant and threatening to kill a sheriff’s deputy.

John Clifton Brantley, 39, was charged with disorderly intoxication and threatening the life of a law enforcement officer. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on $5,500 bond.

While Escambia County Deputy Bobby Cook was eating an early morning meal at the Whataburger on North Century Boulevard, Brantley staggered into the fast food establishment where he was holding a profanity-laced cell phone conversation loud enough to be heard across the dining area.

Cook stated in his report that Brantley then used profanity in loudly complaining that deputies were not around when his motorcycle was vandalized. Cook escorted Brantley out of the restaurant, where Brantley began make racial remarks about “blacks” while a group of  employees were standing nearby on a smoke break.

After more profane comments, Brantley was taken into custody.

At the jail, Brantley simulated a gun with his hand and fingers while looking at Deputy Cook and saying the word “pow”, according to the ECSO arrest report. He then make a slicing motion across his neck with his finger and mouthed the words “you’re dead”, leading to the charge of threatening a law enforcement officer. Brantley’s actions were recorded on video at the jail, according to the arrest report.

Comments

48 Responses to “Man Busted After Drunken Night At Whataburger; Deputy Death Threat”

  1. shequita on October 29th, 2010 10:50 am

    hahaha; “JUST SAYING”-
    totally agree. he is a great person & has a great family.. this is the only thing these people have to do with their lives is get on here & JUDGE everything & every person who shows up on here. THEY HAVE NO LIFE!

  2. art on October 28th, 2010 2:08 pm

    i dont care if he is a sinner or a saint, a born again or a heathern…if i see this whack a doodle come my direction i will head the other way and avoid him at all costs. if i was a store owner and he dared come in my establishment you best believe im calling johnny law.

  3. The Truth on October 28th, 2010 1:51 pm

    I want to add to something to Mr DHG’s comment if he dont mind pertaining to(I am a sinful man, deserving of Hell and only saved by the mercy of a loving, forgiving Lord following my repentance of sin). Amen! That was well-spoken. Whoever read that, dont think it goes that way for everybody. You have to be a child of God to get that kind of grace and mercy. No, everyone is not a child of God. Only born again believers are.

  4. David Huie Green on October 28th, 2010 1:12 pm

    REGARDING:
    ” “Regarding David’

    It doesn’t concern you to know what got him to that point. Your quick to comment on what these people have to say when your basically judging yourself.”

    That’s “you’re” as in “you are quick to comment” and “you are basically judging yourself”. “Your” means you own. (You’re already mad at me so I thought I throw that in for your consideration.)

    And you’re partly right. I wasn’t threatened or cursed and wasn’t out on the road when he was driving around in that state–this time. Yet well-meaning people keep acting like this is an example of what a good person does. I can’t help but wonder how they reach that conclusion. I ask for enlightenment so I can understand better.

    Some friends also insist that we all need to be concerned because of the harm it does to his family. That makes sense, it’s got to be rough on them. I try not to do it to my children.

    You’re also right that I judge myself. I am a sinful man, deserving of Hell and only saved by the mercy of a loving, forgiving Lord following my repentance of sin. Anyone who doesn’t believe that, believes they’re too good to need salvation. That’s up to them.

    His friend, Nick, brought up “you know nothing about him or what happened to get him to that point”. I wish the poor fellow well and hope he never kills anybody or hurts anybody else. In an effort to understand what brought him down to this, I asked for more information. Sad that you insist on condemning.

    David the concerned

  5. The Truth on October 28th, 2010 11:51 am

    It’s a known fact that everyone sins. Nobody is perfect. What he did was wrong. Im sure half of the people on here has gotten drunk before. Some people unlike John just know how to control it. If anyone drinks to get that sloppy NEEDS HELP, no matter how perfect the wife/friends think he is when he’s sober, you know he has a drinking problem. God says, “When you follow the desires of sinful nature, your lives will produce evil results” and drunkeness is one of the many. Another thing, he didn’t only threaten the cop’s life. He was a threat to everyone on the highway. The judgement for his behavior needs to be rehab not jail time. He may know what he done was wrong (more so embarassing) but wife/friends you know that getting arrested is not going to stop him from drinking. Wise up!

  6. His Wife on October 28th, 2010 10:17 am

    To Allie

    Thanks and we love you too.. I wish I could really say what I was thinking on here but why not just move on.. Hopefully everybody will find something new to talk about.

  7. Allie on October 28th, 2010 9:48 am

    Just to set the record straight…he was NOT driving!

    To HIS WIFE…I love you honey. You know you and John can call me anytime you need to. We know “the real John” so don’t even worry about what people that have nothing better to do but sit around and claim they know everything say!

  8. Big B, little ill on October 28th, 2010 7:48 am

    To HIS WIFE…were all bad people, can’t you tell by the comments. Anyway that’s what the Bible says, just not those exact words.

  9. mee! on October 28th, 2010 2:53 am

    “Regarding David’

    It doesn’t concern you to know what got him to that point. Your quick to comment on what these people have to say when your basically judging yourself.

  10. censored on October 28th, 2010 1:37 am

    This site cracks me up! If Mother Teresa was framed and arrested for unpaid parking tickets most of you people would be saying ” Great job ECSO!” You know that’s why we have court, being ARRESTED for something doesn’t mean you did it, being CONVICTED does. I don’t know this guy and I wasn’t there but the comments on most of these stories seem more like your guilty untill proven innocent

  11. David Huie Green on October 27th, 2010 11:31 pm

    REGARDING:
    “I could tell you what kind of man he is but why waste my time cause all of you on here just like to judge people because you have no life.”

    There you go judging again. Several of these people have lives. Not everybody has said he deserves jail time. Quite possibly a severe talking to will clear it all up. I just wondered why you maintain there is more to the story, that if we knew all the facts, we would think differently or at least more kindly to the man despite his actions. Instead, everybody gets insulted for wondering and discussing.

    This is rough on his family. True. It would be better if it had never happened for your good and the good of the children. No question.

    It might be rough on the people he insulted and threatened, too. They didn’t ask to be put in this situation. It would be nice if they could all turn the other cheek, confident he wouldn’t follow through on his threats, hope he lied when he made the throat slitting motion.

    “There is only one person who has a right to judge people and last time I checked nobody on here is God..”

    Theologically speaking, the Lord makes the final judgment regarding the destination of the soul, but He also set judges over us for Earthly matters and Jesus calls on us to judge ourselves so we don’t need to be judged.

    It’s not too late.

    David for nonjudgmental, sober behavior

  12. His Wife on October 27th, 2010 9:21 pm

    Nobody said that what he did was justified and he knows what he did was wrong. And he isn’t proud of what he did. But nobody is perfect. I could tell you what kind of man he is but why waste my time cause all of you on here just like to judge people because you have no life. No matter what all you have to say he will always be a great man in my eyes and in our kids eyes. You all need to look at the skeletons in your own closet and shut up..

  13. David Huie Green on October 27th, 2010 9:01 pm

    REGARDING:
    “And who the hell are you all to judge him when you know nothing about him or what happened to get him to that point?”

    GOOD POINT.

    Please tell us more so we can see where what he did was justified.

  14. His Wife on October 27th, 2010 6:56 pm

    Really everybody needs to shut there mouth.. There is only one person who has a right to judge people and last time I checked nobody on here is God.. Everybody that doesn’t know him is jumping to say that he he is a bad person when really he isn’t.. You say he should be in jail but has anyone thought about his children if that happened? None of you has ever seen the John that is always there for everybody.. He always would bend over backwards to help people every time they called. How can you judge him on one night of making a bad call?? How about everybody just worry about their own life for a change.

  15. nick on October 27th, 2010 6:48 pm

    I know John personally and he is indeed a great person. I have never known him to have a problem with alcohol muchless need rehab. Yes he made a poor judgement by drinking and driving, and his actions at the Whataburger but does that really mean he is this awful person who should go to jail? And who the hell are you all to judge him when you know nothing about him or what happened to get him to that point?

  16. David Huie Green on October 27th, 2010 5:28 pm

    REGARDING:
    “He IS NOT a bad person, but he did make a bad decision.”

    it’s certainly a good thing he is not a bad person or there is no telling what he would have done rather than slur the workers, curse loudly and profusely in public, threaten law enforcement officers. Since that is what a GOOD person does, …..

    But one does have to wonder- – - what was that ONE bad decision which he made? I’ve made lots of bad decisions but none of them resulted in these type of events (at least not yet, one never knows what the future holds or what I’ll do if I ever take up drinking).

    David wondering

  17. Sandra on October 27th, 2010 5:06 pm

    A drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts….yeah, Johns a heckuva guy.

  18. MEE! on October 27th, 2010 4:46 pm

    Allie. You are so right.

    I know John too and he loves his family and does take of his family. Who are you people to say anything about him. John is a really good person and he is a man that makes mistakes. You are intitled to make those. Ya know. So ya’ll need to lay off and make comments on people you know instead of someone you know nothing about.

  19. Allie on October 27th, 2010 3:51 pm

    Everyone is so quick to condemn him and don’t even know him. I know we all have our own opinion and that is fine, but I know John. He has been in my life for 34 for years and he would give anyone the shirt off his back if he thought they needed it…they wouldn’t even have to ask. He IS NOT a bad person, but he did make a bad decision. It just really makes me upset when people are so quick to judge and claim that he needs rehab or needs to be locked back up. I mean really…who are you to decide what should happen to him? I’m pretty sure the judge will decide that on his own when John goes to court.
    Doesn’t really matter what people say anyway….I’m still going to stand beside him 100%.

  20. art on October 27th, 2010 1:49 pm

    me..
    “He needs rehab. Give the guy a chance to make things right.” yes indeedy, he needs rehab. he needs to take care of and love his family, but most of all himself. where there is life there is always always hope, but you cannot force people to do the right thing. it is up to each one to determine in their mind and heart that they want to do what is right. it takes baby steps and time for a lot of people to ever get to the point they will ask for a chance and some help, then sadly, for some it is too late.

  21. lawful citzen on October 27th, 2010 12:37 pm

    To BIll, Correct the bible does say that about Judgement, but at the same time this nut is putting himself in the spotlight, to judged, talked about and whatever else is done. If you don’t want to be talked about and judged the don’t put yourself out there like that.

  22. Gerry Dumenkoffen on October 27th, 2010 7:04 am

    Way to go William. Just heard the story and a mention of your website on WEAR TV.

  23. Bill w on October 27th, 2010 12:19 am

    In a time when people seemed to be more tolerant I fought many a round with John Barleycorn and made a fool of myself around innocent folks. Times seem to have changed and i Finally got the upper hand on old John.
    Still I read somewhere in a Book That we shouldn’t be so judgmental of others because such were some of us.
    you can read it for yourself ! Cor 6

  24. me on October 26th, 2010 11:12 pm

    He needs rehab. Give the guy a chance to make things right. I’m sure he realizes how stupid he was. Geez, you people are so eager to throw people to the wolves.

  25. IDIOT on October 26th, 2010 10:13 pm

    True actions show when you are intoxicated. Put him BACK in jail and throw away the key!!! We don’t need these alcoholics in our towns and on our streets to verbaly abuse our kids and kill them driving drunk! Take him to rehab!

  26. Big B, little ill on October 26th, 2010 5:33 pm

    EMD…..Amen, Amen, Amen….Sure the guy maybe a great guy, but sin is sin.

  27. David Huie Green on October 26th, 2010 5:33 pm

    I know it sounds judgmental to say this but I’m used to that:

    YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO

    It’s not somebody else threatening people, not somebody else being insulting, not somebody else driving around drunk.

    Now look on the flip side: if you stop doing those silly things, you will quit being that silly person. I’ve had many a kid come up to me to apologize for how he acted in years gone by because he realized what he had done was wrong. He repented, changed his direction, changed his attitude–grew up.

    And yes, I’ve seen a few who still think what they used to do–and still do–was okay, “just a mistake,” one of many which should each be forgiven because it was “just a mistake.” To each his own–some never grow up.

    There’s still hope, though.

    “O wad some Power the gift tae gie us
    To see oursels as ithers see us!
    It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
    An foolish notion:
    What airs in dress an gait wad lea’e us,
    An ev’n devotion! ”

    From TO A LOUSE by Robert Burns about a lady who thought VERY highly of herself while lice nested in her hair.

    Paraphrase: If only we could see how others see us, many of us would stop putting on airs and avoid silly blunders.

    David for sobriety and all that follows
    rather than drunkenness and all that follows

  28. Anna on October 26th, 2010 5:24 pm

    To “just saying” if he was such a good father and husband why isn”t he at home with his family where he should be?I doubt that is his first drunken act of stupidity.I had a husband that acted in such a way and I can asure u it was not a treat having to live with that on a regular basis.But he had one too many drunken nights and now he is in the cemetary and missing out on his children’s lives.But that is a mistake he can’t take back.Glad the officer got involved before he was able to take out his anger on his family that u say is so lucky to have him.Been there dealt with that also.And I am sure a friend like u is alot of help to that family.Maybe u should move him in with u being he’s so great and all bet u change your mind about how great it is to have him around.

  29. WRM on October 26th, 2010 3:44 pm

    Just saying said: “So maybe he was having a bad night and took it out on the wrong people but that doesn’t mean anything”

    Sir, it means everything. Failure to have yourself under control and sober means that public officials are now in charge of your life as you forfeited your freedom.

    Everything he did was against the law in civilized society. Even in the privacy of your own home, being out of control is also against the law, as written.

  30. Terri Sanders on October 26th, 2010 3:43 pm

    Yeath,just how DID he get to Whataburger that night?Hope he wasnt driving but i bet he was!! more stupid and irresponsible behavior from this guy!

  31. shae on October 26th, 2010 2:56 pm

    In Answer to “”Just Saying”, The penal system is full of “Good Old Boys” that made a “One Time Mistake” drunken out of their minds, that ended up in murder. Thank God we have law officers that put themselves in harms way to try to prevent yet another “drunken mistake”. Thank God this law officer was able to prevent a bad situation from escalating.

  32. Bill on October 26th, 2010 1:22 pm

    What a shame!

  33. BrewtonBrat on October 26th, 2010 11:41 am

    For Just Saying: your idea of a “great family man and husband and father” is really lacking a look at what that same “very lucky” family must have to endure on a regular basis. How sad that you could condone the behavior of a loud, intoxicated, belligerent person in a public place, family-oriented business at that. Then overlook his obvious racially charged statements made at employees who are working for a living. Whether he gestured in fun at the officer or not is a moot point since our officers deal with more than their share of crap from losers like this one.

    If you, Mr Just Saying, were any kind of friend, maybe you can get him some help? Or are you just one of the good ole boys who he hangs with and ducks for cover when the mud gets thick? Look in the mirror, buddy. That proably could have easily been you and I betcha he would have turned his head the other way.

    Good job, Deputy Bobby Cook!

  34. EMD on October 26th, 2010 11:26 am

    I wish folks would quit calling sin “a mistake.” How long will God put up with such nonsense from His Creation, He called, “good.” and that evil hijacked(for a time)?

  35. lawful citzen on October 26th, 2010 9:31 am

    “Just Saying” this man did not make A mistake, he made several that night. AND is this is first time drinking? If so, then I would say that he made mistakes. If it is not his first time drinking, then he has drank before, and surely had bad reaction to drinking, This does not happen overnight. Therefore, he would be aware that the alcohol does not agree with his brain chemistry and will make him cut up, so he don’t need to drink. And if he is such a “good man” then stay home with your wife and children and agitate the crap out of them and don’t reak havic on society. If he have a problem with Black people and Cops, when he is drinking then there was a problem before, him drinking just gave him the courage to say and do what he wanted to do and say. I agree that the value put on the LEO’s life is not high enough, and it should have been higher or no bond set at all, because now he is probably mad because he got locked up, which add fuel to the fire. So when he goes out this weekend and get drunk again, will he take it out on that LEO or another LEO or Blacks or anyone in society, that he alcohol tell him have done him wrong.

  36. BentStraight on October 26th, 2010 9:17 am

    I wonder how he got to the Whataburger???

  37. Terri Sanders on October 26th, 2010 9:08 am

    profanity-using forceful words to compensate for a weak mind

    mabe it was just the Jalepeno Burger? LOL!

    Our LEO should ALWAYS err on the side of safty
    GREAT JOBS GUYS!

  38. art on October 26th, 2010 9:06 am

    just sayin, what if he is a great person when he is sober? so what? when alcohol is introduced into the picture a person’s personality changes and their inhibitions are removed. otherwise great people are turned into morons. and one of the consequences of being a drunken fool is that people begin to stop trusting you and start believing you are not such a great person. again, if i were a store manager and saw this guy walk through my doors, i wouldnt wait to find out if he was sober or not, i would call law…and i am not judging him, but i have the mental capacity to determine that i dont want someone in my establishment that threatens law enforcement in the manner mr. bradley did when he was drunk. that is the consequence of his actions. i’d quit the booze if i was him.

  39. Mustuknow on October 26th, 2010 9:05 am

    Horrific: Agreed. I think all threats towards another person should be taken seriously and often times are not taken seriously or as seriously as they should be by LEO’s and you are right a TRO is not worth the piece of paper it is written on. However, my point was that if our judicial system does not value the lives of our LEO’s then how do we expect JOE CRACKHEAD to??? We all want a LEO to come in our hour of need to protect us or our property or right a wrong that has been done to us and for them to be able to do that we as a society have to show them RESPECT. Respect for the job they do, respect of their life. Not saying a LEO’s life is more valuable than mine or yours but should be as valuable as mine or yours.

    Just saying: Yes I would say we have all made mistakes in our lives at one point or another. However, the statement “Man Up” seems to be fitting in this situation. No one made this man get sloppy drunk, no one made him go into this establishment and create a disturbance and no one made him make threats towards the officer…. All the actions of this man were of his own doing and therefore he will have to suffer the consequences of his actions. HE MADE THE CHOICE TO GET DRUNK AND ACT A FOOL, NOW HE MUST FACE THE MUSIC.

  40. Dave on October 26th, 2010 8:51 am

    So being a good person gives him the right to go into a public place and disturb everyone? Don”t think so.

  41. Just Saying on October 26th, 2010 8:23 am

    So I guess nobody else has ever made a mistake and said things just out of anger before. Well I know him and he is a great husband and father and they are very lucky to have him in their life.

  42. Kathy on October 26th, 2010 8:17 am

    ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!

  43. Just Saying on October 26th, 2010 7:55 am

    Everybody likes to judge so quick when somebody makes a mistake. If you really knew this person you would know that he is a good man. He would never harm anyone. So maybe he was having a bad night and took it out on the wrong people but that doesn’t mean anything. This man does so much to help everybody else but people only want to judge him on a mistake that he made one night. I’m just saying that he is a great person that made a mistake so don’t be so quick to judge him.

  44. art on October 26th, 2010 7:35 am

    so happy the officer was in whataburger at that time and noone was hurt. and may i say the folks that work up there at the century whataburger are some of the nicest people and they have a great store! great food and always clean. century should be very proud to have such a nice place to go get a hamburger and then some drunken fool comes in and makes everyone’s life miserable. i do believe if i was the manager of any store and saw this guy come waltzing in i would call the law immediately.

  45. Horrific! on October 26th, 2010 7:10 am

    Your right it is…..I think it’s totally disgraceful tho when the police don’t
    care when citizens are threatened either and they don’t even bother
    to investigate…..

    So on this I remain unmoved…..

    Obviously this guy IS a threat to probably ALL society and should have
    stayed locked up.
    I don’t understand when someone threatens another person why they
    are ever let out…….everyone knows that a piece of paper will never stop
    a NUT JOB!

  46. mary on October 26th, 2010 5:37 am

    GOOD JOB Deputy Cook!!!

  47. christy on October 26th, 2010 1:09 am

    what an idiot!

  48. Mustuknow on October 26th, 2010 1:05 am

    So let me get this straight…. you make two hand gestures and verbal threats towards a LEO, threatening the LEO’s life and you are released on a $5,500 bond???? Seriously!?!?! I understand the suspect was intoxicated and possibly was not thinking clearly but a threat is a threat and a threat towards a Law Officer should be taken seriously in my opinion. I read somewhere in the last few weeks about the number of LEO’s that had been killed in the line of duty this year was double (or nearly double) what it was last year…. LEO’s are underpaid, and unappreciated by most. Leo’s deal with people at the worst time of their lives, they are cursed at, spit on, assaulted, disrespected, spend many holidays away from their families so that you and I can be with our families, etc. JUST DISGUSTING THAT OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM DOES NOT VALUE OUR OFFICERS LIVES ANYMORE THAN THIS……………