With a national spotlight on Fort Pierce, police, deputies helped keep governor's debate safe

FORT PIERCE — This week's gubernatorial debate drew hundreds of political partisans, loyalists from both parties and news media representatives from across the country to the Sunrise Theatre downtown, and even though the scene at times got heated, the significant law enforcement presence kept it safe.

"We're not in Miami, we're not in Jacksonville or in Orlando and to have our venue be selected for this only one gubernatorial debate was quite the coup," said Anne Satterlee, Sunrise Theatre marketing director. "I mean this was the feather in the cap."

Police closed Second Street to traffic between Boston and Orange avenues at about 3 p.m. Monday for the 7 p.m. debate between Republican incumbent Ron DeSantis and Democratic Charlie Crist. Metal barricades lined the street on both sides.

Until nearly debate time, DeSantis backers were in the majority until the Crist crowd of about 150 people arrived from its pre-debate rally. There was shouting, there was flag waving and there was loud music, but for the most part, police kept the two sides separated behind the barricades on opposite sides of the street.

Law-enforcement presence

Thirty Fort Pierce police officers and five St. Lucie County sheriff's deputies and a supervisor were on the scene, police Sgt. Charles Donnon and Sheriff's Office spokesperson Tonya Woodworth said.

There were few incidents, according to officials.

"We are proud that our city was selected to host the event and that our department had the honor of providing security," police spokesperson Curtis Jennings said in an email.

More: Crist, DeSantis spar before a rowdy Fort Pierce crowd at Florida's only gubernatorial debate

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The Sheriff's Office agreed.

"From our standpoint, there were no major issues," Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Brian Hester said. "For the most part, the event was peaceful and it moved along smoothly despite the current political climate."

Jennings did not provide details on the security operation, but said Fort Pierce officers "provided appropriate coverage for the size and level of security required for such an event."

Four debate hecklers removed

Security inside the nearly 100-year-old theater ran smoothly despite some disruptions from the audience.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers and private security from the debate organizers were inside the theater, Satterlee said.

"In a perfect world it would have been nice if they adhered to the moderator's suggestions of no comments and clapping, but you can't control a lot of things like that," Satterlee said. "You have heated discussion during an election year and a couple weeks before this, the big vote."

Four people were asked to leave the debate for causing disruptions, Jennings said. One — Bryce Graham, 25, of West Palm Beach — was arrested after he left the theater. He was charged with breach of peace and disorderly conduct, a second-degree misdemeanor, and ordered to appear in court Nov. 15, he said.

Graham told TCPalm he was removed from the theater after speaking during the debate, while other audience members who made comments were not removed.

"The governor's security only bothered Black and brown people and Charlie Crist's camp in that place," Graham told TCPalm on Tuesday, the day after the debate.

Graham said he was escorted out of the debate after saying out loud that DeSantis used taxpayer money to fly two planeloads of immigrants to Martha's Vineyard.

He eventually agreed to leave the theater after initially telling security he would not leave, Graham said. Police confiscated his debate credential, he said.

Graham was released after being held 30-45 minutes in a police vehicle, he said.

Police declined to comment or to release any information on Graham's arrest.

Mauricio La Plante is a TCPalm breaking news reporter. Follow him on Twitter @mslaplantenews or email him at Mauricio.LaPlante@TCPalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Law enforcement presence helped keep Sunrise Theatre debate safe in fort Pierce