A tragic incident occurred on Sunday night in the parking lot of a bar in the 10500 block of Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, which resulted in the death of an airman from Tyndall Air Force Base. Ross Allen Johnson, 23, of Cartersville, Ill., an amateur mixed martial artist, was charged with manslaughter by the Panama City Beach Police Department.
According to police reports, Johnson was rushing towards a fight involving one of his friends when he allegedly hit another man, Dayvon Larry, 31, of Malone, Fla., behind his ear. Johnson never attempted to get help for Larry after he knocked him out. Instead, he left him lying in the parking lot and continued towards the escalation, where he engaged in a skirmish with another man.
The story was first reported by mypanhandle.com.
After the second incident, Johnson left the area and stayed in a hotel room while allegedly trying to avoid investigators. When he was finally taken into custody, he gave multiple different accounts of what happened, including that he simply pushed the man. However, he allegedly told a woman on Snapchat about the victim and wrote, “Dude is still not moving.”
The victim died from blunt force trauma to the head. An autopsy revealed a “softball” size bruise on the victim behind his left ear and a skull fracture. The victim was an airman at Tyndall Air Force Base, an Airman First Class, and a member of the 325th Security Forces Squadron.
Johnson, who has a record of five wins and two losses and three years of advanced martial arts training, has been charged with manslaughter. His trial is expected to take place soon, and if he is found guilty, he could face a significant prison sentence.
Tyndall Air Force Base officials have expressed their condolences, stating that the victim’s death is a “devastating loss” for the base and that their “thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and fellow airmen during this tough time.”
Since 2014, Benny A. King has been fully immersed in the world of combat sports. Starting with a blog about Greco Roman wrestling, Benny’s passion for combat sports has led him to explore various disciplines.