Sergeant Kevin Scott Kight, a dedicated officer with the Panama City Beach Police Department, tragically lost his life on March 27, 2005. At approximately 10:30 p.m., Sergeant Kight was conducting a routine traffic stop at the intersection of Beckrich and Front Beach Roads in Panama City Beach, Florida. During the stop, he discovered that the driver's license of the individual he had pulled over was invalid.
As Sergeant Kight attempted to arrest the suspect, the individual drew a handgun and shot him. Despite immediate efforts to save his life, Sergeant Kight succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. He was 34 years old and left behind a wife and a young son.
The suspect, Robert Bailey, fled the scene but was apprehended several hours later. Bailey was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and resisting an officer with violence. In 2007, a jury recommended the death penalty for Bailey, and he was sentenced to death on April 11, 2007. However, in a significant turn of events, Bailey's death sentence was vacated by the Florida Supreme Court in 2017. The court cited the non-unanimous jury recommendation as the reason for vacating the sentence, following a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found Florida's process for imposing the death penalty unconstitutional. Bailey's case was set for resentencing.
Sergeant Kight's death had a profound impact on the community and his fellow officers. Each year, local law enforcement and community members gather to honor his memory and service. His legacy continues through his son, Brandon, who followed in his father's footsteps and became a police officer with the Panama City Beach Police Department. The annual memorial services serve as a reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face daily and the importance of community support in preventing such tragedies.
