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Murder Suspect Captured, Released Days Prior To Cantonment Shooting
July 26, 2016
An Escambia County man was captured after a manhunt in Cantonment just days before he allegedly murdered a man Saturday night also in Cantonment, NorthEscambia.com has learned.
Marquis Derrell Bryant, 19, is wanted for homicide in connection with the shooting death of 29-year old Alphonso Leon Griffin. Griffin suffered a gunshot wound and was found in the yard of a residence in the 200 block of Sheppard Street in Cantonment just after 9 p.m. Saturday. He was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital where he later passed away.
Bryant was captured by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office just five days before the shooting, but not placed under arrest.
On Sunday, July 17, Bryant allegedly stole a classic Ford Mustang. On Monday, July 18, deputies spotted Bryant in the stolen 1965 Mustang at 3:47 p.m. near Hicks Street and Muscogee Road, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. When a deputy attempted a traffic stop, Bryant refused.
The deputy followed the vehicle, not exceeding the speed limit. Bryant opened the driver’s side door while the vehicle was still in motion. He then jumped from the vehicle and fled on foot.
The Sheriff’s Office said Bryant was located by a K-9 a short time later.
Sgt. Andrew Hobbs, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said deputies suspected that Bryant ingested some type of narcotics before being captured. He was transported to a local hospital for medical care. Hobbs declined to say which day Bryant was released from the hospital, citing medical privacy laws.
Hobbs said deputies submitted a grand theft auto warrant for judicial review. At the time of the murder, the warrant had not yet been signed by a judge.
Bryant now has an outstanding homicide warrant. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Comments
25 Responses to “Murder Suspect Captured, Released Days Prior To Cantonment Shooting”
@Susan- Ever heard of Clemency??? Executive Orders??? No??? I didn’t think you did! Judging by your vacuous question you should’ve done a little research to keep from revealing your unsurprisingly stupidity! Shame on you SUSAN!
What Mike Amerson said. Exactly what I thought.
@ Susan – My comment was to “Educated”, She made a blunt statement somewhat downing anyone that might be supporting Trump. My comment was in general (non specific) to not support Trump but to certainly express my un-happiness with our current president (Obama). Need I explain more? I think we all know he has completely failed this country and there is nothing positive anyone can say or prove that isn’t so.
Everybody in this forum should be entitled to their opinion without name calling. “Educated” made several grammatical errors in his/her post, but a challenge to copy and paste the corrections of his/her entry is more than stupid. I can claim that I am the most beautiful person in town, but sadly that does not make it so. (LOL)
@Mike Amerson – thanks for a thoughtful and informative response..
@Justin J., Ya, we know who you are voting for. Please provide references to back up your random accusations.
@ Jim, see Justin J.
@ nga1310 Can you defend that statement? What laws have changed that would impact this situation since Obama has been President?
@uneducated white man. Please educate us by copying and pasting your grammatical corrections.
Regards,
Look up this guys prior record and you will really question the whole thing. He had weapon, drug, and theft convictions last year. I hope someone has to answer to this victims family as to why he wasn’t in jail. He jumps out of a stolen car and runs from law officers and is just let go? Something does not add up!!!
Mike, it’s good to know you still think rationally. I’ll support you if you come back & run for TOP COP!!! Call me sometime. Your Molino partner…….
Is the Mustang OK?
Asking the real questions here.
I urge y’all to read Mike Amersons comment below. I think Mike hit the nail on the head. It was all about who’s paying the medical bill and who’s going to guard him until he is released from the hospital. If the jail was still managed by the Sheriff, then things might have been different. Sheriff Morgan ruined that when he tried to butt heads with the County Commissioners. Rather than tolerate the Sheriffs temper tantrum, the Commissioner’s called his bluff.
Vernon, you have to realize, it’s not the hospitals fault. They only treat people, they can’t incarcerate them.
Well, this sounds crazy. My car was stolen and the thief had a wreck in front of a police person, the cop pursued the persons that stole my car, seen them run into a home, the officer made contact with the home owner, the home owner said there was not anyone old enough to drive in the home. Wow no arrest, nothing. Guess who had to pay ? Me I am glad they didn’t go shoot anybody, or have they ? Just wondering.
@educated
Why are you so defensive and angry? He is a murdering criminal.
Get out of the way.
to educated: exactly what is your point? seems it’s just a poke to anyone who might be supporting Trump. Yeah I agree he is a bully and lacks a lot in many areas but please don’t defend the Obama era, Look where that got us..!!
It’s amazing how ignorant the people are who are commenting. From criticizing BLM to Obama for this young mans behavior is ludicrous. I’m sure their lack of education and understanding solidifies they’re Trump supporters. For the the record, educated white middle class Americans get it. The uneducated lower class white Americans are lost. That’s just proof you have been bamboozeled. This young man was a troubled youth who turned out to be a extremely troubled adult. SMH Prayers for the family of the slain victim
i just hope he gets caught & SOON!!!
He steals a car, flees from police, gets caught and then is released by the hospital? This story is so sad because the real victim is the victim’s family who should be very angry. Law enforcement caught him and the medical system releases him why? If you consider the fact that someone should’ve insured he went back to jail until his hearing then we wouldn’t have him being wanted for murder. Sadly a communications breakdown results in the losing of a life and a another tragedy for a family.
Sounds like the DNC may want to have him as a speaker!
Cops are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Had they arrested him and he did swallow the dope he carried and died, all hell would be created down here by the BLM movement because police failed to protect a black innocent life. It’s every citizens’ fault for buying into this politically correct nonsense.
@ Mike–I feel you are correct. It could be also that the right of information law could have tied the hospitals hands as far as releasing information to the S.O. or he may have just walked out.@ Don- it would not have taken long for this guy to have made bond and the resulting shooting could have happen. @Justin– help us understand how the “Obama system” played into this. You can not always “hold a suspect for ever anymore except in some capital cases and then it will not be forever. In most cases you are allowed to make bond or be taken before a judge.
I think Mike Amerson sums it up pretty well. It’s time for a new sheriff – term limits can bring faster change in policy.
Many felons walking among us all over this county because the sheriff wants to keep numbers of arrests down.
BOCC has dragged its feet for YEARS and just now beginning to move on building a new jail.
MILLIONS of OUR Tax Dollars WASTED on keeping prisoners in other county jails because we have noplace to put them.
Thugs on our streets all over the place.
Was at a red light yesterday, saw a guy on a bicycle ride up to a parked car, no hiding it gave a bunch of dollars to guy in car and got a baggie from him then both left the area. Drug deal right in the open or delivering grannys cookies?
Probably if he is caught he will be released on a 1500 bond.
If he was arrested before taken for medical care the Sheriff’s DepRtment or county would therefore be responsible for medical bills. This way the felon is responsible and it never gets paid!
ABSURD!!! This tics me off! He committed a felonious crime, is released “due to medical” and then commits MURDER! I honestly do not understand this “Politically Correct” judicial system. In such a crime; how can someone steal a car, elude law enforcement, consume narcotics, and get out of supervision without seeing a judge! This is ludicrous! Now, there is a family that has to bury a loved one because this OBAMA judicial system has decreased the punishment laws and are letting felons walk. If I were the judge; CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: DEATH!!!
That’s crazy! why could the officers not charge him with attempting to allude or at least failure to stop when pulled over? they could have held him while waiting for the warrant.
Now let me tell you what I read into this story. I may be wrong, but have seen it happen in the past. Bryant was in the care of medical staff after his capture. He may have ate some type of drugs to keep from being caught with them. While probable cause existed to do a direct arrest, someone probably chose not to do one to keep the county from paying the medical bills nor did they want to have to provide a deputy and/or corrections officer for Bryant while he was admitted to the hospital which is surely still policy. Now since the BOCC has control of the jail, I’m sure it’s a fight as to who foots the bill between them and the SO for the security of Bryant. So they choose to let the warrant go through normal channels which unless it’s changed could take days/weeks. I wasn’t there and all of this may have a better explanation, but just going off what has been reported through the news media, it appears to be the same old song/dance. One agency not wanting to pay the bill over another. I’m sure with Bryant knowing he got caught in a stolen vehicle, he didn’t bother calling the SO before his release. But at the request of the arresting officer, the medical staff will notify the SO prior to releasing the suspect. Again, I don’t know if that was or wasn’t done or Bryant just walked out prior to release, but any of the above could have been avoided had he been under arrest and being guarded around the clock. Under those circumstances, the victim in this case may still be alive if Bryant was still in jail. Again, this is just me trying to read between the lines of whats been reported.