May 3, 1980

An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” available on Amazon

By Mike Simmons

On April 23, 1938, Floyd Douglas Heist was born in Nashville, Tennessee. He was raised with his four brothers and two sisters. Even though Doug was born in Nashville, he grew up in the Florida panhandle, including Fort Walton and Pensacola.

When he graduated from high school, Doug did something that would set the course of his life. He joined the United States Air Force. Like most branches of the military, the USAF sent Doug to various places worldwide. But he soon came back to the Florida panhandle…back home. Tan, muscular, and good-looking, Doug caught the eye of every girl in Fort Walton. And he had the personality to go with it. He was outgoing – the life of the party. When he and his buddies would go to town, he was usually the center of attention.

That was what first got Martha Phillip’s attention – his personality…plus his tan, his muscles, and his good looks. “See that guy?” she said to her sister, Joann.

“What guy?” her 14-year-old sister asked as the two of them sat and watched the young airmen showing off.

“The one walking on his hands.”

“Yeah, so?” Joann asked.

“I’m gonna marry him,” said 16-year-old Martha.

A few days later, Joann and Martha walked past Doug, who was sitting on some steps. Joann, to Martha’s embarrassment, boldly walked up to the tan stranger, “Hey.”

Doug looked at the kid, “Yeah?”

“Are you married?”

“No!”

“You got a girlfriend?” asked Joann.

“Bunch of ‘em…all the girls in town!” said Doug. “Why are you asking these questions?”

The little matchmaker turned and pointed to her sister and said, “she wants to know,” That started it. They married in 1957 and began their family. Born to the couple were Froy, Debbie, Tommy, Clay, and Robin.

In 1971, Doug’s phone rang. “Wanna be a deputy?” asked the high sheriff, Royal Untreiner.

So, we live in Florida, right? And…in Florida, we don’t have much occasion to handle an American Bison, correct? As a matter of fact, we don’t even know what to call them. Most of us call them buffalo. Well, Deputy Heist got a crash course in, not what to call the animal, but how to handle it. When deputies were called to corral an American Bison that had gotten loose, I am sure there were questions on the police radio if they heard the dispatcher correctly. Fearless Doug took the lead. Fearless, yes – crazy, no. He got out with the animal, which is supposed to be mild-mannered, but he carried his rifle…just in case. Marty said that when someone asks “How do you load an angry buffalo (bison)?” his answer was “Very, very carefully!”

                                        

The day he had been planning – April 29, 1980 – had finally arrived. Ernest Fitzpatrick, a 20-year-old dishwasher, had planned it out to the last detail. And today he would execute it. He had been planning the bank robbery for several weeks. He got a .38 caliber revolver, a wig, and a fake beard and mustache – just like in the movies. He put tape on his fingers so his fingerprints wouldn’t be left anywhere at the scene of the robbery. And, just in case he needed it, he included a roll of nylon tape. Maybe he would need to tie people up – like they do in the movies. The gun and tape went into a paper bag. He boarded the city bus bound for Warrington.

His eyes caught the First State Bank. That would be his plan. When he entered the business, he pulled his gun and announced his intention to take a hostage. Two people were able to call the police.

Sgt. Ed Smith, Doug, and two other deputies responded. Smith signaled that he and Doug would go in while the other two took up positions outside. When they came through the door to the inner office, they saw that the suspect held a gun on Helen Blake and William Shaw. They pulled their guns and began to talk with Fitzpatrick, who immediately fired his pistol, striking Doug in the head. Smith subdued the criminal.

“Oh God, Oh God, why did I do this?” Maybe compassion for the deputy? No. He made the selfish comment, “Now they’re going to electrocute me.” It was all about him.

Doug tried to stand up but couldn’t. The bullet had entered his skull, traveled through his brain and exited the back of his head. He collapsed. The ambulances soon arrived and transported the two heroes and the suspect to the hospital. Parks was treated and released. Fitzpatrick was treated, released, and arrested. Doug Heist never left the hospital alive. He died on May 3, 1980.

They came from all over – 400 of them. 400 pressed, Class ‘A’ uniforms, with long sleeves, ties, and shiny medals. 400 newly washed police cars, 400 brother and sister officers, coming to pay their final respects to a hero. But that was only the beginning. By the start of the funeral service at 11 AM, more than 1500 people were in attendance, which was said to be the largest funeral audience in the history of Escambia County.

On October 30, the jury found Fitzpatrick guilty of premeditated first-degree murder and recommended the death penalty, which is what Judge Blanchard sentenced him to. The sentence was later commuted to life in prison. He is still alive, serving his sentence, which is not the case with Deputy Doug Heist.