Brawl Outside Bar Ends With Five Arrested, Injuries, Deputy Hit With Beer

April 14, 2015

Five people were arrested after a brawl in the parking lot of a Cantonment bar that injured two people and a deputy.

According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was on patrol and in the parking lot next to Mustangs North in the 600 block of Highway 95A North about 11:30 Saturday night when he observed a large fight involving approximately 30 people in the bar’s parking lot.

He arrived to find two victims down and bleeding from their injuries. The situation quickly grew out of control as more intoxicated individuals exited the bar into the the parking lot, causing the deputy to call for multiple backups units.

Deputies said they placed 38-year old Billy Monroe Edwards under arrested after he began cussing them and became aggressive, followed by 45-year old Lorraine Cassady Fox who was also aggressive and would not follow orders.

Then an intoxicated 36-year old Amanda Ginette Rutherford ran toward a deputy, throwing a full can of beer and hitting him hard enough in the face to cause the can to “explode”, the report states.

Witnesses said the fight started when 30-year old Jenni Marie Michanowicz and an unknown male subject attacked and injured a male and female in the parking lot. She told deputies she was first attacked by the female victim.

A fifth suspect, 49-year old Darren Nelson Kersey, was arrested after deputies said he continued to argue with them about arresting Michanowicz.

At the Escambia County Jail, detention deputies reported that they found powered cocaine, a clear bag containing methamphetamine, a glass pipe for smoking meth and an Adderall tablet in Michanowicz’s purse. Michanowicz was charged with two counts of battery, resisting an officer without violence, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $29,000 bond.

Rutherford was charged with felony battery on a law enforcement officer, felony aggravated battery on an officer, felony resisting an officer with violence, felony inciting or encouraging an affray or riot and disorderly public intoxication. She was released from jail on a $23,000 bond.

Edwards, Kersey and Fox were charged with disorderly pubic intoxication and resisting an officer without violence. Each was released from the Escambia County Jail after posting a $1,000 bond.

The male victim who was knocked unconscious in the parking lot refused medical treatment. The female victim was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital with multiple injuries, including a possibly broken nose.

Comments

60 Responses to “Brawl Outside Bar Ends With Five Arrested, Injuries, Deputy Hit With Beer”

  1. Charley Taylor on April 17th, 2015 10:43 pm

    That was my son (Deputy) this woman hit with a full beer can. He has 4 children, a wife and a mother that pray every night for his safety. I hope she has time to think about the lives she could have destroyed by one drunken act.

  2. Connie on April 17th, 2015 1:04 pm

    Good Lord people need to grow up….real sad sad

  3. Amazed on April 15th, 2015 11:09 pm

    The young woman that started the whole thing should be ashamed of herself. Had she not been wanting to fight , this would have never happened. I hope she learns her lesson and quits trying to blame everyone else for her mistakes. She is a mother and a wife . She needs to act like a mother and get through this and become the great mom she used to be. With all the charges against her , she may get some jail time so then she can have time to think about HER mistakes. She did this to HERSELF and maybe will learn from this mess. I hope the girl she beat so bad that had to go to the hospital will be ok too. I’m sure there are medical bills and maybe even law suits from that coming !! what a mess Good luck jenny and God bless you

  4. Not a LEO on April 15th, 2015 8:51 pm

    Just a heads up to some. When law enforcement shows up at any disturbance, stop whatever you are doing and do what they tell you to do. They are going to gain control over the situation FIRST, then they will start investigating what happened. Remember this, under a riot situation which is only three or more people in a public setting, all the rules change in the use of force for the officers involved. Never, Ever throw anything at an officer working a crime scene as this young woman is going to find out the hard way! The moment that beer can left her hand, either open, closed, half empty or full, it became a deadly missile! This young woman is in some very serious trouble, that`s one beer she`ll wish she never picked up.

  5. Peaches on April 15th, 2015 12:30 pm

    Agrees with Moneyman – much better ways to spend your money and time than in a bar buying alcohol or drugs. I quit drinking in September of 2013 and I feel better, look better and have a more money to spend on things that are really important.

  6. Very Blessed on April 15th, 2015 11:04 am

    For the comments about Cantonment, if you will check the names of the person(s) arrested,most of them do not live in Cantonment. They reside on the west side of town.
    Hopefully Escambia counties finest will be patrolling this fine establishment a lot more in the near future to deter such behavior and issues. :)

  7. Dubya on April 15th, 2015 10:57 am

    I recently buried my son after a ten year battle with drugs and alcohol and incidents such as this. What I say I know from years of experience and ultimately the most awful pain possible.

    Unfortunately few adults involved in the drug culture will ever change. They choose to live this lifestyle; some of them still young but with long criminal records. Even if they wanted to live responsibly, they don’t have the social skills; or at least choose not to use them. Drugs and alcohol are priorities and many of them are now only worried about their next chance to get high. Unless they change there is tremendous pain in the future for their moms, dads, and children. Very sad…….

  8. Stunned on April 15th, 2015 6:38 am

    Wow! Time to grow up. Fix your marriage. Go HOME to your husband and kids who desperately miss you and become the mother you used to be. These losers are ruining your life and DRUGS have changed your priorities. As sad as I am for your kids because of your public failures…I’m hoping that this public embarrassments will be your ROCK BOTTOM and you see where you’re headed(buried, addicted, or in JAIL). All these actions affect your family so time to put your big girl pants on MOM up!!! You’re better than this and it’s not too late to change. Everyone will forgive you and forget your poor choices. Your children need you.

  9. pat on April 14th, 2015 9:38 pm

    Your only as good as the company you keep, AND kids ? do you really think that matters to folks like this ? Not Grow up and move out of your parents house, and raise your KIDS !!!!!!!

  10. employee on April 14th, 2015 9:24 pm

    @Jcellops yes the bar has the right to refuse service to anyone… And trust me they have been barred!

  11. diana dar on April 14th, 2015 8:41 pm

    These people are old enough to know better shame shame shame y’all have kids I’m sure and is this what your teaching them

  12. just saying on April 14th, 2015 8:38 pm

    I just wana like some comments i wish u both well, get it together dang! Ya haven’t been down this road enough ??smh!!

  13. Suzie B on April 14th, 2015 6:38 pm

    Although none of it is funny, at least there was indeed a fist fight and no guns or other weapons were involved, other than the beer can. The beer can was probably open and thus seemed to “explode” but a full can would definitely do damage. Those involved tried to settle it like the old days. One thing that always amazes me is that someone with drugs on them gets involved instead of just slinking off into a corner somewhere to not be noticed. Getting searched is part of the routine so why get in it in the first place? Glad there were few injuries

  14. Jcellops on April 14th, 2015 4:28 pm

    I don’t find anything humorous about the deputy getting forcefully hit in the face from the full beer can that was thrown…it could have blinded him and I’m sure it was painful…I hope that the guilty party gets the appropriate punishment for their callous, drunken deed…and, the deputy recovers completely…doesn’t the bar have the right/responsibility to ban ( no trespass ) hooligans like these folks?…got to be consequences for bad behavior like this..otherwise, the bar owner will loose business and open themselves up to a possible legal /financial impact.

  15. Spare Me on April 14th, 2015 4:19 pm

    It’s amazing to me to come in here and see some folks try and shift the blame away from the ones involved. At some point people have to have some sort of accountability for their actions. I have been to Mustangs on many a night and I have always enjoyed the times I’ve been there. It’s not the bartenders job to teach you manners and how to control yourself, that’s your parents job, at least until your 18. But, it seems like they didn’t do the best job.

    Furthermore, after a simple check of the Clerk of the Courts site it seems as though these two fine, upstanding, young ladies and I use the term ladies loosely, have had previous issues with drugs and/or keeping their hands to themselves.

    We need to start making an example out of these people and put them in the cages they clearly belong in.

  16. Sage 2 on April 14th, 2015 2:58 pm

    All the comments (40+) about a bunch of folks getting drunk and wanting to go bear huntin’ with a switch!

    Yet, with all the traffic accidents, wrecks, and yes, death resulting from such…hardly more than a half of dozen comments for each incident.

    Alcohol is legal and profitable to sell to anyone of age…and many not so. People get drunk and rowdy and everyone has a comment, but no empathy or sympathy for those hurt by STUPID and CARELESS drivers either not paying attention or texting or talking on their idiot’s communication device.

    Why is that?

  17. Shocked on April 14th, 2015 1:25 pm

    When is it time to grow up? No one is perfect and everyone has a past, but there comes a time when you know that’s not acceptable behavior. You have responsibilities and too much to lose when you behave like that. I once knew the girl caught with the drugs in her purse, and she is someone I would have never guessed was using heavy drugs like the ones listed?! She is a mother and it’s just sad to see another good person in this town caught up in those type of drugs. Hope she realizes what’s more important before it’s too late. Those type of drugs ruin lives. Praying for her and her family. Hopefully the embarrassment from this will help wake some of these people up!!

  18. Shane Caraway on April 14th, 2015 12:46 pm

    To throw light on a dark subject, At least they had great Bondsman, Matt Howard Bail Bonds had them out of jail, they were all out in a jiffy…So you all know who to call, innocent until proven guilty, it’s the law…I’m just wondering why there were only 5 arrested if there were 30 involved, like law enforcement said??

  19. barbara agerton on April 14th, 2015 12:44 pm

    I am sorry this happened and I am sure after they all sobered up they were all sorry too. It is sad that the Police Officer was hit in the face, Thank you to all of the Officers.

  20. john on April 14th, 2015 12:31 pm

    I too, once lived my life like this, but since then, my Lord and my God Jesus Christ, saved my wicked filthy soul!

    Do you know Him?

  21. Alicia kondrad on April 14th, 2015 12:15 pm

    Trust me it is possible to have a life outside of a bar….without getting drunk or arrested! Call me boring if you want at least I dont have an arrest record! Get a life? P-u-l-l yourself out from under that rock an GROW UP!

  22. Moneyman on April 14th, 2015 12:00 pm

    People ask me why I quit drinking 27 years ago? Been there done that. I finally realized it was a waste of money and brain cells. Hope these folks do the same!

  23. BIFF on April 14th, 2015 11:43 am

    ITS TIME TO GROW UP! Go home to your children! STOP DOING DRUGS! Be a parent, take a LONG hard look in the mirror and the people you’re surrounding yourself with. DROP THE LOSERS YOU CALL FRIENDS AND GO GET HELP. I know you’re reading this and you know who is writing it. Get it together biff. This is it. This is your BOTTOM. You can only either die, go to prison, become an addict and fry your beautiful mind for good.. OR YOU CAN GET YOUR LIFE BACK ON TRACK. You have all the resource at your fingertips. You have REAL FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT LOVE YOU AND CHILDREN THAT WANT AND NEED YOU. Accept responsibility for your actions and get it together. I TOLD you that you didn’t have this under control and now MAYBE you see. I LOVE YOU AND I AM HERE WETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT. I refuse to watch my best friend die, lose her children, and ruin her life. Come hell or high water I WILL REACH YOU.

    YOU CAN IGNORE ME BUT I KNOW YOU KNOW. This is it hook.. This is your life and only YOU can make it better.

    “Chin up, shoulders back, smile on.” YOU CAN DO THIS!

  24. taxpayer1 on April 14th, 2015 11:41 am

    Alcohol and grown Fools don’t mix well……………………………but this was in Cantonment!!!

  25. hawghead on April 14th, 2015 11:40 am

    In reference to “employee”..Just because this happened in the parking lot does not mean you are not responsible. I’m sure this started somewhere inside the bar and was carried over in the parking lot..You served the individuals and provided the environment for this to take place. I’m not saying the the bar employees started this but they certainly are partly responsible. Take notice people especially young people. Is this the type of fun you want to have? When you mix alcohol and drugs and tempers the end result is never good.

  26. wally on April 14th, 2015 11:34 am

    Oh! their families must be so proud !

  27. meagan on April 14th, 2015 10:58 am

    Hahaha… Ain’t that just something.

  28. AC on April 14th, 2015 10:48 am

    U nvr done n e thing wrong?:

    No, actually I have NOT ever done this. Even at my drunkest and lowest, I have never assaulted a cop, or anyone else for that matter. “Get a life”? REALLY?! This is a life? Not one I would want to live. If this is common or acceptable behavior for you, Then it is YOU who needs to “get a life”.

  29. Typical on April 14th, 2015 10:39 am

    @ bartender.

    You are so wrong you are still responsible after they leave the bar. Wait till one of your fine drunks drives and kills a member of my family.

    A “dram shop law” is a law that governs lawsuits over injuries caused by people who bought alcoholic drinks at bars or restaurants. All states have dram shop laws.

    A dram shop case is a lawsuit against a bar, tavern, restaurant, or other establishment that sells alcoholic drinks, brought after one of the establishment’s patrons got drunk and got into an accident.

    If you get hit by a drunk driver and can prove that the driver got drunk in a bar, you may have a dram shop case against that bar, depending on the evidence.

  30. ALLEN on April 14th, 2015 10:23 am

    I am always relieved when these numerous arrests happen I don’t know any of them. It makes me realize I’m living a pretty good life. I don’t need the bars,drugs or friends like these. What a bunch of losers

  31. Mexican on April 14th, 2015 10:01 am

    This is nothing but sad. The saddest part is they think they did nothing wrong. Fighting over drugs because your drunk….that’s something wrong. I do agree that the bar needs to be more responsible. Not that its totally their fault but wasn’t the other “party” in this fight in trouble for the same thing weeks prior? If you know its trouble bann it and keep the drama to a minimum. Ive listened to several different versions of this night and personally know a few of the arrested and a few of the ones that slipped being arrested. There are no “innocent” parties. They are all trash that need to grow up, fix their marriages, lives, be parents, stay out of bars beings they cant seem to get along with the general party crowd and let the rest of us carry on without their drug induced drama.

  32. Cindy on April 14th, 2015 9:40 am

    Well I hate this for the folks involved (who most of us probably know) who are now having to deal with the legal side of all of this but, like the person previously said how many of us haven’t been there before? Just older and stay at home now for this very reason too much drama to get sucked in to!

  33. Customer on April 14th, 2015 9:35 am

    How are some of y’all going to blame the bar staff for some stupid folks inability to control themselves!? The bar staff is amazing, and are very good at diffusing most situations. Yes, it is the bartender’s job to “cut off” people who get too intoxicated, but from reading this article some of these folks seem to be under the influence of something a little bit stronger than alcohol, and absolutely no one could control that but there person using. This is the first serious incident! Cut them some slack! On any other night it is a very laid back place, I quite enjoy going to grab a beer there on Friday/Saturday nights

  34. jeeperman on April 14th, 2015 9:34 am

    Actually nobody was arrested for cussing. But doing so drew the LEO attention onto themselves. And after not shutting up and staying out of the way, they got arrested for “disorderly pubic intoxication”.
    Everyone should always remember, if LEO wants to arrest you, they will find something to charge you with.

  35. DavidHuieGreen on April 14th, 2015 9:29 am

    REGARDING:
    “The can exploded(lol)?? Wow, he must have hit him really hard! Hehe!!”

    Much of this was funny, but THAT wasn’t.

    A hydraulic shock wave can make a container explode, so, yes, the officer was hit hard in the face.

    David for fluid dynamics elsewhere

  36. Meth problems on April 14th, 2015 9:28 am

    Sounds like the biggest problem wasn’t the alcohol but the drugs.

  37. haley on April 14th, 2015 9:27 am

    Pardon me for saying this, but, the comments made about Cantonment are completely ignorant remarks. What does Cantonment have to do with this other than this dive sits on Hwy 29 in Cantonment? There are a lot of nice areas in Cantonment and a lot of nice ppl living here these days. This fight sounds like a bunch of inebriated ppl getting out of control. This could happen anywhere in any area of town. And Gary, sounds like a bunch of God fearing democrats to me…..

  38. Sharon on April 14th, 2015 9:01 am

    First it makes me angry, then it makes me sad to read this! It is frightening for those who love the officers and those who love the offenders. God cares for each one of these and He cares for you and our community! This little song began to go through my mind and this has been the profound and life changing answer for friends of mine who were trapped in this miserable lifestyle. This is my prayer today.
    I will serve Thee because I love Thee
    You have given life to me
    I was nothing before You found me
    You have given life to me
    Heartaches, broken pieces
    Ruined lives are why You died on Calvary
    Your touch was what I longed for
    You have given life to me
    Lyrics found here

  39. SEE on April 14th, 2015 8:55 am

    And they say you can’t have fun in Cantonment.

  40. bartender on April 14th, 2015 8:05 am

    I normally wouldn’t comment on this .however all of these people are old enough to know how to act when they go out. It’s sad that it’s expected that younger groups are the ones that always wanna fight…false. if you can’t act like an adult don’t go to adult places. It is not the bars responsibility to babysit grown ass men and women. The bar is only responsible for cutting you off and attempting to stop it before it starts. And if you can’t behave to put you out. Once your in the parking lot you are then the laws problem. Not the bars fault. How do you expect younger generations to act if the older generations set the example?

  41. cw on April 14th, 2015 7:46 am

    We have all did it but we got older and had kido we wood go out have fun but we did not let drugs get us in trouble or in jail or let our parents have to raze our kids for we could go drink or do drug they need to grow up and thoughs old people need help

  42. employee on April 14th, 2015 7:33 am

    Actually management IS doing a fine job! This fight wasnt in our bar therefore not our issue. Dont blame the bar for people who cant handle their alcohol properly!

  43. marisa on April 14th, 2015 7:19 am

    Didn’t know u could be arrested for cussing

  44. Gary on April 14th, 2015 7:16 am

    A bunch of God fearing republicans right here.

  45. Amazedatppl on April 14th, 2015 7:05 am

    Wow! Grown ppl acting like this! Some need to learn to keep their mouths shut! Maybe find better ppl to hang with. But guess some never change.

  46. WOW on April 14th, 2015 6:48 am

    It’s SO sad to see mothers that are consumed by drugs!! Meth and cocaine REALLY?? At what point in ones life does one choose to grow up and make better choices that will affect their children in a positive way?? If not, your children will grow up and repeat the same process as you!! Please get help and change your life…if not for you…for your children.

  47. Concerned on April 14th, 2015 6:33 am

    Glad to see managment doing a fine job? Not
    Hope the victims recover quickly?

  48. Mom in Cantonment on April 14th, 2015 6:11 am

    What a great group of role models. If you can’t play nice, then you’re going to have to sit out. They should be ashamed. Grown people that can’t control their alcohol or tempers. Tsk Tsk

  49. Jae on April 14th, 2015 6:04 am

    The can exploded(lol)?? Wow, he must have hit him really hard! Hehe!!

  50. SHO-NUFF on April 14th, 2015 5:53 am

    All of these people are old enough to know better than act like this.
    Sounds more like a bunch of high school kids hanging out at the river, and I don’t remember being that bad years ago.

  51. River-ron on April 14th, 2015 5:51 am

    Appears Mustangs North needs some selective law enforcement as customers drive away..

  52. Honest John on April 14th, 2015 5:46 am

    Sounds like somebody drank too much courage !

  53. Nancy on April 14th, 2015 5:12 am

    So glad I have no desire whatsoever to be out after 9:00!

  54. Gman on April 14th, 2015 5:05 am

    If you cant handle your liquor, please don’t drink.

  55. U nvr done n e thing wrong? on April 14th, 2015 4:49 am

    so i guess no one has ever done this??? Ummm yes.. Maybe at home or in the yard or at a cookout, but its a dumb fight.. Weve all encountered.. If u go out.. If not.. Then u get a life!

  56. oh good grief on April 14th, 2015 4:41 am

    Nothing good comes from alcohol or drugs. NOTHING!!!

  57. lol on April 14th, 2015 2:17 am

    Dude. No way. lol

  58. Sunny on April 14th, 2015 2:14 am

    Wow!! Is all that I can say.

  59. Tattat on April 14th, 2015 2:09 am

    Classy? They haven’t heard of that word. Get a life!!!

  60. Ponch on April 14th, 2015 1:45 am

    Stay classy, Cantonment!