LongHorn's employees foil random kidnapping attempt

FORT WALTON BEACH — A man was taken into custody after trying to kidnap two children near LongHorn’s Steakhouse at 544 Mary Esther Cutoff, in a parking lot the restaurant shares with Liza Jackson Preparatory School.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, witnesses say Michael Lee Oliver, 55, walked up to a car and told Kimberly Hamm and Angie Morris that he was going to take their children. The 9-year-old and 10-year-old were in the back seat.

According to a Fort Walton Beach police report, Oliver, a Fort Walton Beach resident, kept repeating, “I am going to take the children. If you fight me, you will never see them again.”

• Read a press release and incident report. »
• Michael Lee Oliver is in today's updated mugshot database. View the database. »

Morris jumped between Oliver and the girls and kept trying to push him away as he continued approaching the vehicle. Oliver struck the woman in her upper arm.

Hamm kept pleading with Oliver to leave her family alone.

Both women attacked Oliver, drawing the attention of Christi Emerzian, managing partner of LongHorn’s Steakhouse. She quickly called for employees to help.

A police officer arrived in time to see Oliver in an altercation with LongHorn's manager Rob Wilbanks, Hamm, Morris and Emerzian.

Before he reached the group, he saw LongHorn employee Patrick Driscoll approach Oliver from behind and place him in a headlock, according to the report.

“Based on Oliver’s actions and physical stature at the time of arrest, I truly believe that without the interference of Driscoll, Wilbanks and Emerzian, Oliver would have pushed his way to the vehicle and quite possibly taken the children,” the officer said in his report.

The officer was on his way to the scene long before Oliver approached the women and their vehicle parked about 75 feet from LongHorn’s front door. The restaurant’s management called the police at about 5 p.m., after Oliver caused a disturbance.

Oliver drove his white Honda Civic through shrubs, parked it in the grass and left the vehicle running at the front of the restaurant.

“He comes in and walks straight into the kitchen,” Wilbanks said. “We asked him as politely as possible to leave.”

Oliver walked outside and stared into the front window. He was asked again to leave the premises.

“The police arrived within four minutes of being called. The response was so quick, we were blown away,” Wilbanks said.

Wilbanks counted himself blessed to be there to help.

“We joked about it later, ‘This wasn’t exactly in the training manual’,” he said. “We did what anybody would do. So many things had to happen for us to be in the right place at the right time.”

The incident occurred on the southeastern side of the restaurant where there were no windows. Employees would not have been aware of the attack had Oliver not caused a ruckus in the restaurant or had Emerzian not come outside to see if Oliver had left.

Oliver was charged with attempted kidnapping of a child, battery and resisting without violence.

When he first arrived, the officer tried to place Oliver in handcuffs until he could determine what crime had been committed. Oliver resisted by pulling his arms away from the officer and was Tased in his left thigh before he would comply.

A search of Oliver’s vehicle found several prescription bottles.

During the officer’s investigation, Oliver behaved erratically. “Oliver’s behavior kept changing from happy, to angry, to quite simply crying,” the officer said in his report. “Oliver’s speech was lethargic and he was quite hard to understand at times.”

The behavior continued once Oliver was placed in a holding cell. When the officer returned to take Oliver’s prints, he found him undressed. Two officers tried to convince Oliver to get dressed but he charged at them. The officers slammed the cell door closed and got Oliver to comply by threatening to Tase him again.