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Witnesses jailed in officer's slaying

PANAMA CITY - Two companions of a Wisconsin man accused of fatally shooting a police officer are also in jail as material witnesses under a rare court order, although no charges have been filed against the pair.

Circuit Judge Glenn Hess on Tuesday ordered Dtoria Crawford, 20, and John F. Braz Jr., 31, held at the Bay County Jail for up to 90 days unless they post $100,000 bail so prosecutors can be certain to have their testimony.

Deputy public defender Walter Smith, who represents murder defendant Robert J. Bailey, said Braz and Crawford plan to appeal their detention. He said that nationally, since 1910, material witnesses have been held on bail only four times to secure testimony.

"It doesn't sound right, does it?" Smith said. "There ought to be a law."

The two witnesses accompanied Bailey, 22, a convict and probation violator, from Milwaukee to the Florida Panhandle. Bailey is accused of pulling out a gun and shooting Panama City Beach police Sgt. Kevin Kight, 34, Sunday night at a busy intersection when the officer tried to arrest him for driving with an invalid license.

In ordering Braz and Crawford jailed, Judge Hess said, "I understand and recognize the real possibility that if they were to leave the state of Florida it would be difficult for them to be returned." That's because they are not facing charges and could not be arrested outside Florida.

Hess said he was exercising judicial discretion, although state law says material witnesses can be held for only three days.

Police Sgt. Clayton Jordan, the lead investigator, said he had no idea who shot Kight until speaking with Braz, who said Bailey told him "I just popped a cop" after the shooting. Jordan said Braz was a gang member and feared for his life because of his statement to police.

Braz, however, testified he had no fear of reprisal. He said he would return to testify and cooperated with police "after I got over the beat-up and rough-up of the arrest."

Police said Crawford was a passenger when Kight stopped Bailey, but left before the shooting when Bailey pulled a gun from under the seat and put it under his left leg. Kight had stopped their vehicle for a traffic violation on a beachfront street lined with hotels and condominiums filled with spring break visitors.

[Last modified March 31, 2005, 01:27:20]