Deputies: Ala. man attacked patrons at Panama City Beach zoo

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — An Alabama man broke into a zoo on Panama City Beach and assaulted patrons and sheriff’s deputies, officials said Tuesday.

The Bay County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Zoo World on Front Beach Road for “a man acting erratically at the zoo.”

“He had already assaulted two patrons and three employees, and the employees were keeping other patrons away from him while waiting for deputies,” deputies wrote in a news release.

Deputies said they found Michael Jerome Brown screaming threats to anyone around him.

“The employees of Zoo World stated Brown had broken into the facility and assaulted two patrons before employees went to him,” they added. “Brown then assaulted three employees, who retreated from him and concentrated on keeping any patrons, including a busload of children at the zoo, away from him.”

Thankfully, Brown did not injure any animals or attempt to enter any animal enclosures, deputies wrote. 

“Deputies engaged Brown and he fought two of them, threatening to hurt others as well as making unintelligible sounds,” a BCSO news release states. “Brown’s actions were aggressive and unpredictable, and deputies felt the employees at Zoo World did a remarkable job keeping other patrons safe until deputies arrived.” 

Brown, who deputies said was from Monroeville, Ala., was handcuffed and taken to a local medical facility for medical evaluation. He will eventually be taken to the Bay County Jail. 

Brown was charged with five counts of battery, two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, two counts of resisting with violence, resisting without violence, disorderly conduct, and trespass after warning.