for immediate release
January 15, 2004
N E W S R E L E A S E
A joint effort between the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Fort Walton Beach
Police Department, and U.S. Marshal's Violent Fugitive Task Force has resulted in the
arrest of Willie Eugene "Pumpkin" Carter, age 27 (08-15-1977), of 201 Troy Street,
Apartment G, Fort Walton Beach in connection with a disturbance in which two men
were injured at the Paradise Lounge, 724 N. Eglin Parkway, on New Year's morning.
Carter was taken into custody without incident early this morning and booked into the
Okaloosa County Jail on two counts of Attempted Murder and is being held without
bond. Carter was also served with an outstanding warrant for Failure to Appear on Felony
Battery, Fleeing and Eluding, and Grand Theft Auto.
One of the victims, James Lamar Jackson, age 21 (04-13-1982), received potentially life threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center where he underwent emergency surgery. The second victim, Cameron Robbins, age 21 (11-05-1982), received less serious injuries.
Jackson told investigators that as he was leaving the Paradise Lounge Carter attacked him with a box cutter. Other witnesses stated they saw Carter attack Jackson and Robbins.
This is a separate incident from the one in which Atundoo Kieta Kanili was taken into custody on an open count of Murder after Tim Stocker was fatally injured during an altercation on the dance floor on the same date. The events at the Paradise Lounge on New Year's morning remain under investigation.
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for more information contact Nicole Wagner, Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office
(850) 609-3028 (pager: 986-8093)