By Mike Simmons
On September 15, 1910, a call was made to the Pensacola Police station complaining about gunshots fired at Eighth Avenue and Strong Street. Sergeant James Yneistra and Officer J.R. Simmons, on horseback, rushed to the scene. When they arrived, they contacted the shooter, E. L. Woods. After making the scene safe, they questioned the suspect, who admitted to shooting and said he was shooting at a cat.
As Simmons was making preparations to arrest Woods for discharging a firearm in the city limits. He protested. Simmons explained that it was shooting the firearm was a criminal act, he reached in his pocket and produced a permit, a permit to shoot a cat….signed by Mayor Frank Reilly.
The officers let him go.
