'THEY HAD NO RESPECT': Destinite chases down pot kickers

Raymond Nguyen of Destin can’t be kicked around.

The owner of Harbor Nail Spa at 41 Harbor Blvd. chased down two men that kicked a potted plant outside his business recently to “have a talk with them.” He said he was sitting in his shop with his brother, Nick, when the men passed by and kicked a potted plant in front of Nguyen’s store, breaking the pot.

Nguyen stepped outside to confront the men, who are brothers from Destin, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s report.

“They laughed and gave me the middle finger,” Nguyen said. “I said ‘hey, why did you do that?’ Then they ran.”

Nguyen said he called his brother and chased after the men. He admitted he was a little afraid since he didn’t know if the destructive pair were carrying a weapon, but he wanted them to understand that what they did was wrong.

The chase ended at the Destin Community Center, where Nguyen and his brother finally caught up to the men. He told them to come back to his store with him or he would call the police. The men then offered to pay for the pot, according to Nguyen. He told them it wasn’t about the money and escorted them back to his business.

“I didn’t want to press charges,” Nguyen said. “I just wanted them to realize it was wrong to break my pot and laugh.”

But then one of the men threatened to call the cops himself.

“I said ‘hey, you're drunk,’ ” Nguyen said. “You're out of your mind.”

According to the incident report, it was obvious that both men were intoxicated as they were unsteady on their feet and smelled of alcohol.

While waiting for police to arrive, Nguyen said the men remained combative. He said they even tried to start a fight with one of the other business owners trying to detain them. Both men were displaying their middle finger and yelling expletives at the business owners, according to the police report. The report also stated that one of the men pushed another business owner into a parked car.

“They waited until the police arrived to say sorry,” Nguyen said. “But I say it’s too late. I told them it’s not about the money, it’s about respect.”

The two men were arrested and charged with criminal mischief and disorderly intoxication.

“The pot and the plant are only about $45, it’s not a big deal,” Nguyen said. “But I say the thing they did is not right. I didn’t want to give them a hard time, but they had no respect. I just tried to do the right thing.”