Victims and suspect had troubled history

PANAMA CITY — A man who died in a shootout with police early Monday was in the middle of a divorce, was out on bond for threatening his wife with a gun, and he had become “progressively more violent”  in recent months, according to court records.

Glenn Briggs, 51, was shot to death around Interstate 10 exit 199 in Tallahassee, said Marty West, supervisor of U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force. A deputy with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol conducting a traffic stop around 1:50 a.m. Monday conducted a felony traffic stop. When one or more gunshots were fired from the car, a deputy and a trooper returned fire, West said.

“Right now, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office , the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are all three investigating the shooting to see what happened,” West said.

Briggs was suspected of gunning down Vikitha Briggs, his 44-year-old estranged wife, and Johnny Graham, a 57-year-old North Carolina man, outside of a 23rd Place hotel around 10:45 p.m. Sunday. Both were shot multiple times, and at least once each in the head.

Graham was pronounced dead at the scene. Vikitha Briggs was taken to the hospital, where she died.

West said the fugitive task force, of which the Panama City Police Department is a member, had reason to believe Briggs was headed toward Tallahassee.

“Panama City PD did an excellent job in identifying the suspect,” West said.

Vikitha Briggs had filed for divorce in 2012, and Glenn Briggs was arrested in December for an incident in which he accused of waiving a handgun at her. He was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and posted bond the next day.

After that incident, Vikitha Briggs filed a petition seeking a restraining order against her husband. In the petition, she said Glenn Briggs cornered her in her house and then held her at gunpoint when she tried to escape. She wrote of having trouble sleeping and being in constant fear for her life, and she begged for “someone to do something.”

“We can’t be in the same room without him starting an argument and each time the incident is progressively more violent,” she wrote. “I know that that he will kill me, if something isn’t done [sic]. It is just a matter of time.”

A judge granted an order for protection, and Vikitha Briggs claimed he violated it when he wrote “Proverbs 6:34” in the memo line on a child support check. Proverbs 6:34 says “For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.”

Glenn Briggs’ posts on Facebook since the restraining order was issued seem ominous in retrospect. The posts paint a picture of an angry man vaguely threatening a man he used to consider a friend.

“This is not gonna end well,” he posted on June 21. “I promise you that!”

On Feb. 10, days after Vikitha Briggs alleged that he violated the protection order he posted, “You too are doomed for sure.”

Glenn and Vikitha Briggs left behind a teenaged son. Vikitha Brigg’s niece asked for privacy while the family grieved.

Panama City Police continue to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Roger Rossomondo at 850-872-3100 or CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS (8477).