PANAMA CITY — The man police shot and killed Saturday in St. Andrews after allegedly threatening them with a shotgun had been sentenced one day before his death for improperly displaying a firearm, according to court records.
Grover Zeno Sapp, 45, also known as “Buddy,” was rushed to the hospital after an armed confrontation Saturday at about 5:30 a.m. on Beck Avenue between himself and officers with the Panama City Police Department. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating the case since it is an officer-involved shooting, PCPD reported.
No officers were injured in the incident, but Sapp died early Saturday from his injuries.
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Family members of Sapp, of Youngstown, could not be reached Monday for comment. However, some relatives posted messages to social media, indicating the incident came as a surprise.
“I myself am trying to understand what led to this happening and am very sorry for it and glad no innocent people were injured,” father Grover Sapp Sr. wrote on social media. “This could be your child if you’re not careful with all the things on the streets for them to get into.”
PCPD initially responded to Beck Avenue to a call of a suspicious person. Eyewitnesses also said the man was armed with a shotgun, according to police reports.
Officers encountered Sapp near the intersection of 12th Street, and he then allegedly fired the weapon and police established a boundary. After several loud, verbal commands for Sapp to lower his weapon, he pointed the shotgun in the direction of a group of officers, police said.
“The suspect pointed the weapon at officers, at which time they used necessary force to protect themselves and take the suspect into custody,” police reported.
Four officers are identified as victims on PCPD reports: Donald Thomason, Paul Atwell, Tyler Hill and Raymond Perkins. The case was turned over to FDLE for investigation.
Following the shooting, PCPD issued an officer safety alert on two of Sapp’s relatives for allegedly threatening to “kill officers for revenge,” according to the officer bulletin. However, police later reported “the statements made by the brother do not rise to a criminal level and absent any action, are not yet a credible threat.”
Sapp also had pleaded no contest Friday to improper exhibition of a firearm, according to court records. He was sentenced to a total of $450 in fines and six months of probation in connection with a February incident.
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit, Sapp pulled off the road while driving near County 388 and Lucas Road. Eyewitnesses saw him get out of his vehicle, pull a .45-caliber Ruger and walk around the vehicle before pointing the gun at the vehicle in a “careless manner,” BCSO reported.
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No one else was in or around the vehicle, deputies said.
A summons was issued for Sapp to appear at an arraignment, but after he did not respond officers issued a warrant for his arrest with a bond of $5,000. He was arrested the Wednesday before the deadly shooting on Beck Avenue.
Before his arrest for improper exhibition of a firearm, Sapp had several arrests on traffic violations and one assault that followed a traffic accident where he’d kicked the driver-side door of the other car in the crash, according to Bay County court records.