Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the county.
Sheriff Ramsay participated in a September 11 remembrance ceremony at the Key West Firehouse Museum, and said continuing to educate younger generations about the attacks is critical.
“It’s so important that we continue to remember, but people say remember and they forget,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “We have to keep educating new, younger people who weren’t around then about what happened. We have to make sure they carry the message and torch forward.”
Services were held throughout the Keys, but Sheriff Ramsay has seen fewer people attending the ceremonies and less television coverage of the events each year.
“So it sends a message that we really got to be vigilant to make sure people remember what took place,” he said. “The lives that were lost that day, the lives that continue to be lost to illnesses, and the people who were never going to exist as a result of never being born.”
Sheriff Ramsay called September 11 “a tough, somber day” but said Key West and Monroe County continue to do a good job honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“We always talk about the face of danger,” he said. “When people are running from danger, your first responders are the ones who are running into the danger.”
Many police officers, firefighters and rescue workers who entered the World Trade Center towers understood that they might not make it back out.
“Their goal was to try to save as many people they could, knowing that they’d be sacrificing their lives potentially,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “That’s part of the typical challenging job — putting others above yourself.”
A 67-year-old Key Largo man was accused of pointing a shotgun at neighbors, including a juvenile, during a dispute over a barking dog recently.
Deputies responded to a report of an armed man pointing a shotgun at adults and children. Investigators ultimately obtained a search warrant and recovered a weapon that matched the description of the firearm allegedly used.
Sheriff Ramsay said the incident is an example of how quickly a dispute can escalate when someone responds emotionally, particularly when alcohol and a firearm are involved.
“A dog barking can be a big disturbance. I wouldn’t want a dog barking all the time next to me,” he said. “You have to use the SPCA. There are laws, rules to navigate and deal with these situations. But take it upon yourself, arming yourself with a 12-gauge shotgun, coming out to the person’s property, pointing that shotgun at the residence and a child is always going to be the wrong case. It’s always going to result in you going to jail.”
The suspect faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and armed burglary.
“Nothing good came out of this,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “He’s in jail. The dog is still there. The dog’s probably still barking, but there are mechanisms and ways that you deal with these types of situations.”
Sheriff Ramsay said the incident also illustrates why people need to think carefully before allowing an argument to escalate.
“Arming yourself is never, ever, ever going to be the answer,” he said. “That’s going to be a good result, and we see it for every action there’s a reaction.”
There was also an arrest of a 47-year-old Marathon man who was allegedly riding an e-bike while intoxicated. Deputies attempted to stop the man after observing him traveling northbound in a southbound lane at night without a tail light.
“This was a 47-year-old male from Marathon who’s on an e-bike at nighttime riding northbound in the southbound lane, no tail light, so this thing can’t really be seen,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “Obviously, he’s in the wrong lane. A lot of different factors going on, which make this a concern for each and every one of us on the roads.”
The man initially refused to stop, leading to a brief pursuit. He eventually turned onto 20th Street in the Boot Key Bridge area and fell from the e-bike.
“He finally comes to a stop, falls off the e-bike, which goes to show his impairment,” Sheriff Ramsay said.
Deputies determined the man appeared to be extremely intoxicated, and he became agitated and aggressive before being taken into custody for DUI.
During the incident, the man allegedly threatened to kill the arresting deputies.
Sherrif Ramsay emphasized that people can be charged with DUI while operating an e-bike.
“Even though you’re on an e-bike, which is classified as a bicycle, you can still be charged with DUI just like you’re operating a car,” he said. “The same — it’s no different.”
Sheriff Ramsay said the incident is another example of how decisions made under the influence of alcohol can have serious consequences.
“If you can’t hold your alcohol, don’t drink,” he said. “When law enforcement’s on scene, the best thing you do is cooperate. You have the best chance of going home that night and not getting in more trouble. But by threatening and throwing a fist and fleeing and different stuff, you’re only making your situation worse.”
Sheriff Ramsay also praised investigators who traveled to Wisconsin to locate and arrest a 29-year-old man accused of stealing more than $23,000 from a Marathon-area restaurant where he had been employed.
The former employee had been entrusted with the restaurant’s finances but allegedly took money from the business while falsifying financial information.
“This is an ex-employee who was entrusted with funds from a local restaurant to do the money, and had been there for a period of time,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “Again, he was trusted with the finances.”
Investigators had to track down the suspect after he left Florida.
“Difficult case to do a money case, trying to track this stuff down,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “Suspect’s not here, but we ultimately determined that, yes, we believe that he was siphoning money from the restaurant to the tune of $23,000-plus.”
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant, located the suspect in Wisconsin and worked with authorities there to take him into custody so he could be extradited back to the Keys.
“So again, this is a 29-year-old male who was brought in from Wisconsin for fraud, internal thefts of over $23,000 from a local restaurant in the Marathon area,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “Good job by my team, and we keep sending the message that we’re going to hold you accountable.”
Deputies handled three cases over the weekend involving undersized lobster. One involved a North Carolina man accused of possessing four undersized lobster near Sunshine Key who was taken into custody. Two other men were issued notices to appear in court in separate cases involving undersized lobster near Spanish Harbor and Bahia Honda.
“There are plenty of violations out there,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “Plenty of people that are, you know, pilfering and hurting our environment and are just threats to the well-being of our future existence of lobster and other fish. Some people may think it’s petty for one or two undersized lobster, but we’ve got to just hold the line and hold people accountable.”
He also offered a message to anyone tempted to keep an undersized lobster.
“That, look, it’s just not worth it,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “Just a day in the water, swimming, looking, hunting — even if you don’t get nothing — that’s a great day to be out there. Some days it just doesn’t happen. Some days it’s called fishing, not catching.”
Sheriff Ramsay also praised the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and its partner agencies for providing security during the annual Swim Around the Lighthouse event.
The event involved approximately 350 swimmers and 150 kayakers, requiring extensive coordination among the Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Coast Guard, Florida State Guard, volunteers and other agencies.
“You know, big event, a lot of work, a lot of responsibility,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “Not easy.”
Authorities had to keep the area between the shoreline and lighthouse clear of boat traffic while swimmers were in the water.
“This is 350 swimmers, 150 kayakers,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “There’s 500 people in harm’s way.”
The Sheriff’s Office uses buoys, public-service announcements and patrols to protect the swimmers, while FWC provided a helicopter and other agencies provided boats and personnel.
“This is all hands on deck,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “There’s elements needed on the land and shoreline for parking and registrations and different stuff happening up there around the 80-mile marker, and then there’s a lot of resources required on the water and even air.”
Communications are another major part of the operation, with multiple agencies needing to communicate quickly during the event.
“We have to integrate all these radios to communicate so we can talk to each other,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “We’re able to patch in FWC and Coast Guard and Sheriff’s Office and Florida Guard, and so we’re all in one radio, one frequency.”
The extensive preparation paid off, with everyone making it through the event safely.
“My team did a great job. I’m proud of them, and it was a safe event,” Sheriff Ramsay said. “Everyone made it out safe and secure.”
There were some medical emergencies involving exhaustion and other medical issues and fire rescue personnel handled those incidents.
The sheriff said the event demonstrates the importance of preparation and learning from previous experiences.
“Every year we learn something, and we continue to try to be better,” Sheriff Ramsay said.