Gregory S. Pound, a write-in candidate for Pinellas County sheriff, was arrested Thursday night at a convention-watching party hosted by Rep C.W. Bill Young.
Less than a day later, Pound was held at a psychiatric facility for evaluation under the Baker Act.
The trouble started for Pound when he began talking to Beverly Young, the representative's wife.
There is no shortage of accounts about what happened, but everyone agrees that Pound made allegations about State Attorney Bernie McCabe that Beverly Young found offensive.
Young brought the comments to the attention of her husband and of Sheriff Jim Coats, who was in attendance, sheriff's spokeswoman Marianne Pasha said. Then Coats added that he knew Pound well and was not bothered by his presence.
But the congressman decided it would be best for everyone if Pound left, Pasha said. The staff at the Hilton hotel on Lake Carillon Drive asked Pound to leave but he refused, so sheriff's deputies arrested him on a charge of trespassing.
Harry Glenn, a spokesman for Young, an Indian Rocks Beach Republican, gave a slightly different account. He said that with 600 people in attendance and a lot of commotion, Young didn't find out about Pound's arrest until after the event and was not part of the decision to have him removed.
And Pound, who called the St. Petersburg Times on Friday afternoon from the psychiatric facility, insisted his arrest was entirely orchestrated by Coats, his opponent.
For years, Pound, 52, has been picketing in front of courthouses as well as the Sheriff's Office to protest the termination of his parental rights.
In his call, Pound said it was actually Beverly Young who came up to him, not the other way around. He said he didn't even recognize her, but she demanded to know if he was the one running for sheriff and pressed him to find out why.
He had a short conversation with her, telling her the motivations for his campaign, which include allegations of corruption in the justice system. Then Beverly Young walked away.
Pound said he went over to munch on some cheese and chicken strips and overheard Beverly Young talking about him to Coats.
Soon after, he was told to leave. Pound blames the sheriff.
"This was brute force, brute intimidation, it was just uncalled for," he said Friday.
His bail was set at $250 and jail officials attempted to have him released on his own recognizance but he would not cooperate, Pasha said. He refused to go to his court appearance and wouldn't sign any of the release paperwork.
A court-appointed psychologist evaluated him, and County Judge Patrick Caddell ordered him sent to Personal Enrichment through Mental Health Services in Pinellas Park for evaluation under the Baker Act, which is used for people believed to be a threat to themselves or others. People may be held up to three days for evaluation.
"I'm a political prisoner," Pound said Friday. "I believe what is happening is a political move."
Jonathan Abel can be reached at jabel@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4157.
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