Bar Employee Arrested For Selling Alcohol To Underage Man

March 17, 2011

An employee of a Century bar is facing a liquor charge for selling alcohol to an underage man, while the man is facing charges for the purchase.

Bonnie Blackmon, 29, of Jay, was charged with selling alcohol to a person under 21. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on $500 bond. An arrest warrant for alcohol possession by a minor is still outstanding for the 20-year old that allegedly made the purchase, Daniel Dontavious Woods of Flomaton.

An Escambia County deputy observed Woods at the drive-up window of Odoms Bar in Century with a blue Pontiac parked beside him. As he turned around to pass the bar again, the deputy said the same vehicle nearly collided with his patrol vehicle on Ivey Street.

After conducting a traffic stop on the car, the deputy determined that Woods, the driver, was the person that had made the alcohol purchase moments before at Odoms Bar. There were, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report, three other people in the vehicle, all under the age of 21.

Woods said the person that sold him the Seagrams Blue Beast for about $13 did not ask for his identification. According to the ECSO report, Blackmon admitted selling a bottle of Blue Beast “to a black guy”. She first told the deputy that she asked for his identification. She later recanted that statement and admitted to deputies that she did not card him, but she said she did recognize him from previous purchases in which he was carded.

The Seagrams Blue Beast was seized as evidence.

Comments

32 Responses to “Bar Employee Arrested For Selling Alcohol To Underage Man”

  1. David Huie Green on March 19th, 2011 4:44 pm

    REGARDING:
    “Bonnie is a good friend and she didn’t know he wasn’t under 21 so she shouldn’t have been arrested for this.”

    I’m sure she’s a wonderful person and I wish her well, but part of her job is to KNOW that he IS 21 or over, not to NOT know he’s under 21. When she said she knew the person and had carded him, it looks like she lied to officers trying to do their jobs. That probably hurts their feelings.

    AND
    “And if he had no ID, how do they know he’s who he says he is?”

    Please consider what they reported: They identified him as being 20 years old. That is not the same as saying he had no identification. They are especially inclined to check when the driver nearly runs into them.

    After all, if the driver’s careless about running into deputies, how careful is he likely to be about running into lesser people like you and me?

    In fact they reported everybody in the car was under age, so they couldn’t have just misidentified the buyer. There was NO legal alcohol buyer in the car.

    David answering questions,
    contemplating insults and
    reading comprehension

  2. Jay Girl on March 19th, 2011 3:20 pm

    Bonnie is a good friend and she didn’t know he wasn’t under 21 so she shouldn’t have been arrested for this. They need to be looking for the under age guy who bought it. And id he had no I’D how do they know he’s who he say’s he is? And why issue a warrent? why didn’t they arrest him on the spot? If he had no I’D he probably had no licence either.

  3. well on March 18th, 2011 10:17 pm

    Splat
    There are different kinds of killers.
    Ever hear of DUI Manslaughter.

  4. David Huie Green on March 18th, 2011 5:28 pm

    and it was a GOOD joke

  5. Carrie on March 18th, 2011 4:06 pm

    Yes David I was just joking!

  6. get em on March 18th, 2011 2:28 pm

    @Bill
    Thank you I was beginning to think everyone just missed the point.
    EVERYONE needs to learn to respect every law we have or change it,
    but until then, they need to enforce every single one no matter how
    small you think it is. THIS OFFICER MAY HAVE JUST SAVED THESE
    THREE YOUNG LIVES, OR THE LIFE OF ONE OF YOUR KIDS…………..

    I THANK THIS ESCO FOR DOING HIS DUTY

  7. David Huie Green on March 18th, 2011 2:20 pm

    REGARDING:
    “carrie was probably just kidding around lighten up dude”

    I assumed she was, Riley, doesn’t mean the problems associated with the thought can’t be considered. (I just hope I mentioned them before the evidence disappeared.)

    The second part really is serious, though. I used to know a man who was missing his leg. He explained his brother-in-law blew it off one time when they were both drinking. I mentioned I’d stay around from him. He explained No, they worked together. They just headed in opposite directions whenever either started drinking. Neither could consider not drinking.

    David considering costs of pleasures
    and that they are worth it to some

  8. Riley on March 18th, 2011 2:06 pm

    wow, david. carrie was probably just kidding around lighten up dude

  9. David Huie Green on March 18th, 2011 1:54 pm

    good question, art

  10. art on March 18th, 2011 1:41 pm

    always wondered why we have these “adult ” establishments, serving up ‘adult” beverages and no kids are allowed. just makes the kids want to do it all the more, so they could be “adults”. i have nothing against alcohol in moderation, but why do we as a society, feel the need to go somewhere our children cannot? what does that say about us as a species?

  11. hawghead on March 18th, 2011 11:55 am

    Simple solution. Make a law that requires everyone to show I.D. when purchasing alcohol. Maybe not a 100% solution but its a start. Make the fine, if caught, a large one and a mandatory 3 days in jail for anyone that sells alcohol to someone without checking their I.D..

  12. LINDA on March 18th, 2011 10:38 am

    Unrelated to this news item (sort of) but would like to borrow a statement from this issue: “A stupid alcohol law. At 18 you are considered a consenting adult. At 18 you can buy cigarettes. At 18 you can vote. At 18 you can join the military and be brought back in a bag with a flag.” and mix it into another issue: under Obamacare, we’ll all be obliged to pay for health insurance for “children” till they turn 26. Children – really? If you’re considered an adult now at 18, will that raise all those accompanying privileges to the age of 26? And, let’s not forget the privilege to vote. Move that to 26 because “children” shouldn’t vote? Just wondering.

  13. Driven on March 18th, 2011 2:35 am

    Bill on March 17th, 2011 3:32 pm:

    “…Young people do not have the restraint to be responsible when it comes to drinking.”

    I dont care what age you are, when your drinking most people lose the restraint to be responsible…not just young ones…

  14. Everett on March 17th, 2011 11:18 pm

    A stupid alcohol law. At 18 you are considered a consenting adult. At 18 you can buy cigarettes. At 18 you can vote. At 18 you can join the military and be brought back in a bag with a flag.

  15. wonder on March 17th, 2011 10:49 pm

    Will Odoms bar be fined? If these bars had to pay a fine this might not happen so often. The state could use the money to help the familes who has lost their love ones to drunk drivers. I think all of these people should have photo on billboards telling what the have did when caught drinking and driving.

  16. CENTURY GIRL on March 17th, 2011 7:21 pm

    I DON’T CARE HOW MANY TIMES SOMEONE COMES UP TO PURCHASE LIQUOR YOU ALWAYS CARD THEM. I DON’T CARE IF YOU KNOW THEM OR NOT YOU NEVER KNOW WHOS WATCHING. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THERE IS A FINE FOR THE OWNERS OF THE BAR?

  17. Just say NO..... on March 17th, 2011 7:00 pm

    Alcohol and nicotene are drugs sent here by the DEVIL.

  18. David Huie Green on March 17th, 2011 4:56 pm

    REGARDING:
    “they seized the evidence….how funny is that! They drank it for them selves!”

    If they drank it, then at trial the accused would be released for lack of evidence and those in the chain of custody would have to explain why their jobs should not be ended.

    AND
    “I am much more concerned about rapist and killers”

    Quite often drunks ARE rapists and killers, especially those who’ve already shown a disregard for the law–or at least rapists and killers were often drunk at the time. Personally, I’d legalize drinking at any age so it wouldn’t be considered a sign of manhood and then jump hard on any who drove or otherwise misbehaved while impaired, same as the other drugs.

    David for personal responsibility

  19. Bill on March 17th, 2011 3:32 pm

    The criticism that the drinking age of 21 maltreats young people because they are not inured to drinking and not experienced enough to “party” knowledgeably holds little weight at funerals. Yet the flip side of this lighthearted enjoyment is the hardcore hazing and alcohol related problems that pop up in the headlines and police and law enforcement officers see every day. Young people do not have the restraint to be responsible when it comes to drinking. Society is becoming numb to substance abuse of any kind and society is suffering from it. The real question is should our laws be ignored so that our young learn to ignore responsibility and therefore ignore real life responsibilities. Just an opinion to think about.

  20. Great on March 17th, 2011 3:24 pm

    I wish that they would close all the bars down that do this. This bar is on a very busy highway I am surprised that someone has not been killed in front of this bar. If parents would take these places to court that sales to their children maybe less of it would happen.

  21. Sweetie on March 17th, 2011 1:58 pm

    How sad for the lady who sold him the alcohol. Like she said, she saw him on previous times when he was carded. Once you card someone, you shouldn’t have to continue looking at it. Bonnie, so sorry for you to be caught up in this.

  22. life's_challenging on March 17th, 2011 1:26 pm

    i agree with paul,these days now them kids can buy alchol anywhere now and yea the law was broken and now it should be tighter on restrictions to the minors.

  23. Carrie on March 17th, 2011 12:34 pm

    lol…they seized the evidence….how funny is that! They drank it for them selves! I agree with Splat…law is the law but there is bigger things to worry about than a 20 yr old who couldn’t wait till he was 21. Just be more careful next time. Card them even if they walk in old and gray, and on a cane!

  24. Paul on March 17th, 2011 11:40 am

    An underaged “Man” somethin just doesn’t sound right there..

  25. Splat on March 17th, 2011 11:10 am

    the law is the law….but this one needs to be changed. I am much more concerned about rapist and killers

  26. mary on March 17th, 2011 10:49 am

    where there’s a will theres a way…I was going to ‘bars” @ 15…But the law states if they look under 30 card them. I dont drink anymore.

  27. Laine on March 17th, 2011 10:42 am

    The law is the law and it was broke.

  28. Janice Parker on March 17th, 2011 8:55 am

    Shouldn’t have to pay taxes until they’re 21 either. Something wrong with this picture. Have always thought so.

  29. Paul on March 17th, 2011 8:37 am

    I remember when 18 was the legal age, at 17 I could buy it anywhere with no problem. If the reason behind the 21 law is because people aren’t mature enough to make the right decisions I think we should raise the age to join our military to 21.

  30. Dave on March 17th, 2011 8:26 am

    If they look under 30,card them.

  31. huh on March 17th, 2011 8:23 am

    The guy was 20, can we not just let people make personal choices if they wish to drink? I dont see why the law has to enforced so insanely

    It seems like the police dont have anything better to do , I could see if they were selling to young kids, but 20 when the limit is 21, come on…

  32. Dan on March 17th, 2011 7:29 am

    Cheers !