Man Charged With Escambia Shooting

January 2, 2015

[Updated] One person has been charged in connection with an early Thursday morning shooting in Escambia County.

A woman was reportedly shot in the chest and transported to an area hospital.

Michael Jerome Gratton, a 31-year old listed as being a transient, was charged with aggravated battery using a deadly weapon, improper exhibition of a firearm, firing a weapon in public and attempted first degree  murder. The woman’s condition and further details concerning the shooting and arrest have not been released by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

He’s also charged with a shooting that injured two men last May.

He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at just over $1 million.

Comments

14 Responses to “Man Charged With Escambia Shooting”

  1. Sage 2 on January 2nd, 2015 5:40 pm

    This young man had tried to change…was studying for his GED, went to church every time the church’s doors were open, had put aside and refused to associate with those that caused this to happen, even his multiple cousins, attest to his character.

    In addition, he had recently received an award for the most improved volunteer in and around the area where he resides.

    Now because he can’t hold his head up to get a photo of record doesn’t take away from the come before the bench one more time.
    One picture is worth 1000 words.

  2. JustSaying..... on January 2nd, 2015 1:02 pm

    Well said @ Jason, well said.

  3. dman on January 2nd, 2015 12:54 pm

    Looks like he had his butt kicked royally. I wonder if it was the woman he shot or somebody else that did it…

    Either way, lock him away permanently. He’s obviously a danger to society.

  4. Cinndee on January 2nd, 2015 11:33 am

    He will now play the mental game – due to the publics outcry the jail has become a mental institution. It’s apparently worked for him in the past. I’ve spoken with mental health workers at the jail and they estimate that only about 20% of the inmates suffer from mental health issues. The other 80% are playing the game to lessen their sentence or avoid jail time altogether.
    Surely there must be some way to deter a person with true mental issues from escalating in their crimes.
    In some cases, even the inmate with mental issues family have turned their backs on them. The only time you hear anything from these families is when their family member dies (ie inmante Bogan). The rest of the time, the person with the mental issues is left to flounder in the jail system, which is not set up to adequately meet their needs.
    Is there any viable solution to where these inmates with true mental issues should be placed ? The places that were being used in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties were closed due to lack of funding.

  5. jeeperman on January 2nd, 2015 10:52 am

    What is up with the mug shot?
    Did he refuse to stand, was unconscious or what?

  6. David on January 2nd, 2015 10:46 am

    The incompetency is in the court system

  7. traumaqueen on January 2nd, 2015 10:09 am

    @molino jim and lizz Thanks for clearing that up. I was thinking maybe he was laying on the floor in the picture. I never gave it a thought that deputies were having to hold his head up.

    Let’s home not only that the judge sees his past record but that he/she sentences him accordingly. Obviously escambia county has a few easy judges on the bench.

  8. Jake on January 2nd, 2015 8:53 am

    @traumaqueen

    Those are the police officers hands holding his head in place.
    Another instant classic!!

  9. Bob's Brother on January 2nd, 2015 8:19 am

    This clown has made a mockery of the courts. Time for him to look at walls and bars for a long time. @Jason, thanks for the research. I hope the judge gets to see all this when it comes to sentence time.

  10. Gembeaux on January 2nd, 2015 7:50 am

    @traumaqueen – those are the gloved hands of deputies holding his head up. And, yes, it is still an unusual mugshot.

  11. Lizz on January 2nd, 2015 7:36 am

    I believe the arms in the mugshot belong to officers trying to hold his head up.

  12. molino jim on January 2nd, 2015 6:54 am

    @ Traumaqueen. The two blue objects are gloves being used by CO’s to hold his head up for the mug shot.

  13. traumaqueen on January 2nd, 2015 5:19 am

    Is that dudes arm behind him in his mugshot? That is the weirdest mugshot i’ve seen in a minute.

  14. Jason on January 2nd, 2015 1:37 am

    Probation in 2005. County Jail time in 2009.

    Charged with misd possession (marijuana) in 2013 and tried to have the charges dismissed due to incompetency. Found competent in 5/2013 and decided to plead “No Contest” to the charges.

    In January 2014, re-arrested on new charges of possession of marijuana and again sought to have the charges dismissed due to being incompetent. Dr Larson issued his opinion and the courts ruled him to be incompetent in April 2014 and had misdemeanor charges dismissed.

    From the looks of the jail booking record the Homicide charge is unrelated to the other charges involving his latest crime. With this in mind, one who have to think that the Homicide charge has to be for an incident occurring after 4/21/14 when he had charges dismissed due to incompetency.

    Maybe now that he has committed two additional violent crimes, the courts will see through the his BS and incompetency claims. This guy doesn’t need to be allowed to walk the streets of a free society.

    Sorta hard to be incompetent if you are able to continuously purchase marijuana, obtains firearms and ammo and shoot multiple victims. If so, send him on th=o Chatahootchie to spend time with some real people with mental health issues.