PACE, Fla. — The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a heated exchange at a Pace sports complex that caused quite a scare on Thursday night.
Authorities say an altercation between an umpire and a baseball coach at a youth game had many people fearing that a gunman had opened fire at the park.
It happened at the Pace Athletic Recreation Association (PARA) on Chumuckla Highway.
The sheriff’s office tells WEAR News they’re still gathering evidence. No charges have been filed.
So what led to the incident?
During the bottom of the first inning of a youth league game in Pace, a baserunner collided with the catcher at home plate. It led to an argument between coaches and an umpire, resulting in the umpire ejecting a coach from the game and complex.
“It started with a bunch of commotion, coaches yelling at an umpire,” said a woman who was watching her child play on a nearby field. “Then the next thing, I turn around, I see the coach leaving, he’s still yelling. Then we turn back around, the next thing I know that field was being cleared.”
“Everyone’s just running,” she added. “We hear people saying there’s an active shooter.”
Santa Rosa County Chief Deputy Randy Tifft was at the ballpark. He says once the commotion began, he went toward it.
“Went over to that area where the field was at,” Tifft said. “When I got there, the subject who made the threat to umpires had already departed the field, he already drove away.”
Tifft says umpires told him the coach got disorderly and was ejected.
Video shows the moments the coach was thrown out. Under league policy, the umpires had to escort the coach to the parking lot.
Here’s where Tifft says a crime may have occurred.
“They advised me that they got to the edge of the ball fields at the edge of the parking lot, and he said, ‘If you follow me to my vehicle, I have a gun,’” Tifft said. “And he got in his car and left.”
“We had mass panic. And understandable,” he added. “People were worried about their own kids and their own safety and we take that very serious.”
Tifft says the sheriff’s office dispatch was getting calls about shots fired. He confirms there’s no evidence of a gun ever being at the park.
Despite this, parents say their kids don’t feel safe returning to the complex right now. They’re questioning the Pace Athletic & Recreation Association’s response, saying it’s past due to have security patrol the property.
“I definitely think the president and board members from PARA need to get together and some positive changes to ensure safety in the community needs to happen ASAP,” a parent said. “I do not feel at this time that our kids feel safe.”
WEAR News made attempts Friday to contact the league and are waiting for a response.
Tifft says the investigation is ongoing as they continue to gather new video and evidence. WEAR News is told there’s a strong chance the man, who the sheriff’s office isn’t identifying, could face charges.
“We’re gonna build the case and we’re gonna sit down with the state attorney’s office and determine what charges are appropriate,” Tifft said. “I feel like there are some appropriate charges. But we have to have the evidence.”
There’s also concern from parents about the background checks conducted on coaches. Many parents allege multiple coaches have violent criminal records and shouldn’t be around kids. WEAR News is working to verify these claims.
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