An Opinion By Jan Bergemann 
President, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc. 

Published July 18, 2007

Imagine the scenario: Owners try to hold a peaceful assembly -- as guaranteed by the Florida Statutes -- to decide whether or not they want to recall their association board.  (Owners claim that the board members are puppets of Ray McDonald, the employed manager of the community.) One of the main reasons to recall: Alleged financial mischief -- money seems to be missing and the owners have been refused access to the financial records for many months. Complaints to the DBPR didn't do any good!

The meeting was noticed -- as required by law -- and the signs outside the room clearly indicated: "Owners Only!" The owners even hired a security guard to make sure that only owners had access. All was working according to Florida Statutes -- until Panama Beach Police Officer Donald Nichols showed up. Then the chaos started that left two owners injured and one owner in jail!

CAM McDonald had different ideas about an "Owners Only" meeting (quote): "I am the community manager, I can come anywhere I want!" With the help of Panama City Beach Police Officer Donald Nichols (quote): " I'm not allowed in here, AM I? You're gonna stop ME?" McDonald bullies his way into the meeting room, injuring two owners and having Nichols arrest an owner who happened to stand in his way. Officer Nichols continued to bully the mostly elderly owners by threatening an elderly lady: "You stand in my way, you're going to jail too!"

And to add insult to injury: PCBPD Lt. Jeffrey Heath refused to take statements of the injured owners trying to file a complaint at the station later this afternoon saying: The only report that would be written would be by officer Nichols!

If this is what the Panama City Beach Police Department understands as "To Protect And Serve" it is absolutely no surprise why Panama City Beach has the nickname "Red Neck Riviera!"

This CONDO BUST and the reaction of Lt. Jeffrey Heath is a sure indication what this Department is all about!

Officer Donald Nichols + CAM Ray McDonald  Watch VIDEO " I'm not allowed in here, AM I? You're gonna stop ME?"

PCBPD OFC Donald Nichols  Watch VIDEO "You stand in my way, you're going to jail too!"

Since we are just in the middle of a serious debate about property taxes, we might consider that it's not even a serious threat if county and city commissioners threaten that they have to let go of police officers if they have to further reduce the taxes. Considering the service we citizens receive from police officers like Donald Nichols, it might even be a great idea? Because without his interference -- what did he do in a private building in the first place since there was no report of criminal activity -- law-abiding citizens wouldn't have been hurt! Don't forget, without the back-up of Officer Nichols CAM McDonald, who is coincidentally a former police officer himself, would have never dared to bully his way into an Owners Only meeting! A thorough investigation is definitely necessary, because there is obviously more to the "Condo Bust" then what we saw on the video!