Published: September 04, 2008 09:14 am         

Toadies concert, big crowd has sheriff wanting regulations

By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com

A packed concert at Possum Kingdom Lake Sunday has the Palo Pinto County sheriff working on statutes regarding public safety at future events.

The event promoters for Sunday’s “Dia de Los Toadies” concert told Palo Pinto County Sheriff Ira Mercer there were 4,700 attendees, but the elected official felt there were more people than that packed into Possum Hollow. Toadies is an alternative rock band from Fort Worth. The event also featured Lions, Dove Hunter, The Backsliders and Tejas Brothers.

“I was very unhappy with the whole scenario,” he said. According to Mercer, the parking situation was “terrible,” trash was on the ground and in the water and the venue wasn’t large enough for the crowd. “Cops were literally holding the fence up.”

There were law enforcement personnel present from a number of agencies including the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Brazos River Authority, Texas Highway Patrol and from sheriff’s deputies from Palo Pinto, Stephens and Young counties as well as officers from the Mineral Wells Police Department, Mercer said.

“We had 43 arrests at the concert on 45 total charges,” he said.

According to the sheriff, there were 20 charges filed for possession of marijuana, two charged with possession of a controlled substance, 19 public intoxication charges, three disorderly conduct charges and one charge of a prohibited weapon – a knife.

“Every officer I have sworn in was there,” Mercer said, adding that they had two regular units and one reserve unit taking care of other county business during the event as well as two county constables on standby.

“If we hadn’t had the manpower we had over there, we would’ve been in trouble,” he remarked.

Hoping to better regulate future events, Mercer said he plans to approach the Palo Pinto County commissioners about establishing criteria for mass gatherings, using the state health and safety code as a guideline.

“We’ve got to define what the criteria are and the rates … such as an hourly rate,” the sheriff said. “I don’t think the taxpayers should be paying for law enforcement at a private event.”

Mercer also noted that event promoters could be required to obtain permits, which could later be revoked if guidelines aren’t adhered to.

Other holiday activities

While the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office was bustling at Possum Kingdom Lake, other area agencies reported little additional traffic from the Labor Day weekend.

Mineral Wells police officials reported one alcohol-related arrest during the three-day weekend while Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Jason Dudley said holiday activity was relatively low with some arrests made for driving while intoxicated.

“Every trooper we had was assigned to work,” he said. “One good thing in my area was we did not have any fatal crashes.” He noted there were some collisions but to his knowledge, none reported serious injuries.

Lake collision

At Possum Kingdom Lake, BRA Chief Lake Ranger Mike Cox said the lake traffic was “a little better than average. We did have a couple of boating while intoxicated [arrests], some public intoxications.”

One mishap they encountered involved a collision Monday afternoon between a personal watercraft and a pontoon boat.

Cox said the collision occurred around 4 p.m. on the north end of the lake out from Rock Creek Camp.

“A man and woman [on a jet ski] T-boned a pontoon boat,” he explained. Cox said the man was transported by air ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth in an undetermined condition while the woman was transported by ground ambulance to Graham in serious condition and later flown to Harris Methodist Hospital.

The man, identified as Lenny Testa, 48, of Abilene, was listed in fair condition Wednesday afternoon, according to a JPS spokesman. The jet ski passenger was identified as Lindsey Robinson, 24, of Abilene. A woman who answered Robinson’s hospital room phone identified herself as her mother and said Robinson underwent surgery Tuesday and was doing better Wednesday afternoon.

Cox confirmed speed was a factor in the collision and Testa “failed to maintain proper lookout and operated in a reckless manner.”

Testa and Robinson were part of the group on the pontoon boat. No one on the boat or swimming in the water nearby were reported injured, Cox said.