Florida: father surprised to find himself arrested after holding daughter's Uber driver at gunpoint

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Man who pulled gun on Uber driver claims he was protecting daughter; sheriff says he was overprotective
He was fired Tuesday from his job and dropped from firms for which he consulted.

Hollonbeck was arrested by authorities in Santa Rosa County, and charged with aggravated assault and kidnapping.

He said his mug shot is a blemish on a decorated military career.

“I trained as a Navy flight surgeon. I served with seven special forces. I served with the 160th. I served six tours,” Hollonbeck added.

He doesn’t believe he overreacted Saturday night, just before 11 p.m., when he saw a strange car, with what he thought was a strange man, drop his daughter off.

Turns out, she had snuck out, took an Uber to Pensacola, Florida, and was returning home.

https://www.wlbt.com/2024/05/09/man-who-pulled-gun-uber-driver-claims-he-was-protecting-daughter-sheriff-says-he-was-overprotective/


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He told authorities that he picked up a “younger white female” in Pensacola and drove her to a home in Milton.

When he pulled up shortly before 11 p.m., he said Hollonbeck ran outside armed with a rifle and screamed at him to get out of the car, while pointing his gun and threatening to shoot.

When the driver exited the car, Hollonbeck ordered him to lie on his stomach on the road and forced the driver to take out his driver’s license.



After taking pictures of his ID, license plate, Uber account, and the address where he picked up his daughter, Hollonbeck let the driver go.

Deputies went to Hollonbeck’s house on Saturday and spoke with him and his daughter.

His daughter said her father was “acting crazy, waving his gun around, and yelling,” according to an arrest report. She reportedly went to Pensacola, located 30 minutes from Milton, before returning home. Her friends were also at her house and witnessed the incident.
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Hollonbeck was arrested on Sunday, turned his gun over to the authorities, and was booked into the Santa Rosa County jail.

https://atlantablackstar.com/2024/05/12/florida-man-charged-for-pulling-gun-on-uber-driver-who-dropped-his-daughter-off-after-she-sneaked-out-remains-unapologetic-for-actions/

[HAB911]

1. If only the driver and girl had been armed with Glocks

this would not have happened this way

[marble falls]

3. And the neighbors accross the street, the paper boy, Gramma out for a nitely walk .......

[HAB911]

6. truly sad what we have become

[marble falls]

15. It is truly sad. And most of us should know better, but a lot of us think with our gut.

[Dave Bowman]

34. You forgot little Johnny...

The armed to the tooth toddler.

[GreenWave]

2. Florida man served in military. Did a crime. Now must serve his time.

[Think. Again.]

4. I'll admit, that's a tough one...

...for decades the for-profit media has worked hard to get us all afraid of some stranger harming our loved ones (strong emotions make us susceptible to marketing) so even though a situation like what this father assumed is relatively rare, he (and all of us) have been primed to react to the worst possible scenario.

Obviously, a less trigger-happy father would have first immediately checked on his daughter's well-being before assuming the worst, but a father's instinct to protect his children a serious emotion.

[LisaL]

8. Seriously?

She was being dropped off at the time he was waving his gun around.
Even if he didn't know the gentleman dropping her off was an uber, she was being dropped off, not picked up for him to think she needed protection.

[marble falls]

9. One of the few times I've got to disagree with you, this isn't Joe Shmo with only Fox to gin up his concern ...

... this is a guy who “ .... trained as a Navy flight surgeon. I served with seven special forces. I served with the 160th. I served six tours,” Hollonbeck added.

This is a guy who was pissed his daughter snuck out of the house and he was going to put the fear of dad with a firearm into the 'boy' who helped her split. He deserves his punishment whatever it is and more because of all hi training. I'm a Navy vet, too, and whenever someone does something so flagrantly wrong out of an anger management issues and then starts telling very specifically his military experiance that has no bearing on the action except as some sort of get out of jail card, I cringe. As an officer, as one embedded with special forces, as a doctor he had everything needed to hold his cool long enough to sort it out. What did he think when he confronted the driver and he saw his daughters friend in the car? Or his daughter telling him to stop?

One important thing I learned in the service was coolness in tight situations and this was not even a tight situation. And taking responsibility without making excuses or looking for a break using circumstances that don't have a thing to do with the situation at hand.

If he had shot the driver what would his new "twinkie" defense be, "the media made me do it?"

[LisaL]

16. And when she snuck out he expected police to drop everything and go look for her.

Yea, right.
No remorse, no apology, still thinks he did nothing wrong. I say, throw the book at him.

[yardwork]

20. I agree with you.

[Think. Again.]

25. That's good point about the father thinking...

...the driver was a boyfriend, but the girl was only thirteen, even he was a boyfriend, he was at least of driving age and although I don't agree with his using a deadly weapon like that (or any violence beyong defense), I honestly can understand his fear of his minor daughter being in harms way.

I'm sure there's more to this story though, but my initial reaction is still that if this father had no idea where his daughter was and suddenly she drives up with an older stranger, our current society (as represented by the media, "predator" is still popular in re-runs) would cause all sorts of alarm bells for a parent.

I would like to reiterate my thought that he really should have checked on his daughter before going off the rails though.

[marble falls]

29. Absolutely should have gotten a grasp of the situation before risking a gunfight. Ooops is no defense.

[Think. Again.]

30. Yes, that's what confuses me...

...he reached for his gun before reaching for his daughter.

[yardwork]

31. I disagree that this behavior is in any way normal or understandable.

Many people are fearful of strangers, their children being kidnapped, etc. They don't react by forcing an Uber driver to lie on their stomach and produce identification, then photograph the paperwork, then let the driver go.

As others have posted, I don't believe that this man is telling the truth. I don't think he thought his daughter was kidnapped. I think he's a violent person who had a temper tantrum and took it out on the driver.

[Think. Again.]

32. Could be.

[Old Okie]

39. Vet

I am a Vietnam vet and never knew it was a get out of jail card; of course I never acted crazy and had to find out (apologies to my brothers with PTSD).

[Prairie Gates]

13. Dollars to Donuts this will be reduced to misdemeanor menacing

or whatever the Florida equivalent might be.

[marble falls]

19. Well, it is Florida and it's a good chance the driver wasn't white.

[RAB910]

22. If he was that emotional he shouldn't have a gun. Guns come with responsibility, something people forget

[Voltaire2]

47. No they don't.

As a gun owner you have approximately zero responsibility for your guns and their use.

A sane society would in fact entail gun ownership with strictly enforced responsibilities.

[ZonkerHarris]

56. not tough at all. Don't pull guns on people for no legal reason. Dont be a psycho asshole.

then you won't go to jail.

[Think. Again.]

60. What a wonderful world....

[Phoenix61]

5. He's lying.

He told the cops he didn’t know she was gone then later said he’d called the sheriffs department after discovering she had sneaked out.

[yardwork]

17. I noticed that. And he was mad that the police "didn't help" so he went vigilante.

I think he's lying up one side and down the other. He had a temper tantrum and took it out on the Uber driver. I fear for his children.

[Siwsan]

7. I'm confused. He's an Army veteran who trained as a Navy flight surgeon?

Possible there is that kind of cross training but I've never heard of it.

Regardless, this makes me wonder what kind of a father he actually is.

[marble falls]

11. Special force sometime go cross service for missions, and sometimes people will change services.

[Siwsan]

18. Thanks

I knew served with several people who changed from the Air Force to the Navy. Should have thought of that!! Guess I'm getting old.

Admittedly, my mind always jumps to someone like Chuck Kaczmarczyk who was a mostly state side, non combat Vietnam era Air Force veteran but somehow got away with totally embellishing his career with forged documents and claimed to have been a war hero who was awarded a Purple Heart and many other medals. He also worked with veteran related charitable groups AND swindled the government out of around $900,000 worth of veteran's disability benefits.

He finally screwed up when he ran in to some men who served with him. They were pretty shocked at his 'accomplishments'.

Oh, and he murdered his best friend. A man who WAS a Vietnam combat veteran.

[marble falls]

21. I never heard of him. Jeebers what a piece of work!

[Siwsan]

24. It's quite a shocking situation

He killed the friend so he could marry the widow. Eventually she also claimed to have been a veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart (she used her late husband's) AND that she was disabled due to her military career (claimed to have been in the Pentagon on Sept. 11) so she also defrauded the government with fake paperwork. The $900,000 amount was for the two of them. Oh, and they are now divorced.

Apparently this whole affair clued the VA in to the fact that it's not that hard to submit fake paperwork to be included in your file.

Who knew. All these years I could have been passing myself off as a Commander instead of a Petty Officer.

[marble falls]

26. I've been in the VA system for 15nyears or so. What I thought I noticed was they were very good with records ...

... I just searched that guy and he was/is despicable.

[Siwsan]

28. Hopefully he was unique

I first learned of him from a 2 part Dateline show "Secrets in the Smoky Mountains'. What he got away with and for how long he got away with it is shocking. That he kept showing up at functions and reunions wearing all of his 'fake flash' is really incomprehensible.

[GB_RN]

37. Yup.

I had a friend who enlisted in the Navy right after high school. Served on, IIRC, the Saratoga, during Gulf War I. I’m not exactly sure when the switch happened, but he ended up as an officer with the 82nd Airborne in Fayetteville, here in NC.

[marble falls]

40. Navy actually trains people. There's combat tight and there Navy ship tight. 4.0 means something to a sailor.

[GB_RN]

41. You'll Have To Explain It To Me.

I was never in the military (two dislocating shoulders). Closest I got was researching my grandfather’s service in WWII with the US Army Air Forces (12th Air Force, 57th Bomb Wing, 321st Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Squadron, B-25 pilot, Corsica, 1944-45) and USAF Reserves after.

You should see the gear collection I have that he actually wore or would have worn. 😁

[marble falls]

43. The Navy is highly technical place to be. There are serious schools for all ratings. There has to be unit ...

... cohesiveness in the field. Imagine the discipline and knowledge needed on a nuclear sub with ICBMs, or a 4,000 man carrier. 4.0 means you are a crackerjack sailor with your shit all in one sock. Pretty important when one is at sea in even peacetime. In the Navy if you can't gain rank in two years or so (you can ask to be tested for the next rank almost at any time) you are discharged full honor. A lot of these guys go Marines or Army as grunts.

The Army got someone documented as 4.0 and dedicated and educable. It saved the Army from trying to identify someone from the ranks and training him. Your friend was a good dude and golden.

Like it was said in WWII: they also serve who wait. What's important was you were ready and willing. You supported others who were serving. Bless your Grandfather and congratulations on seeing the importance of your grampa's gear. Thanks for keeping up the memorial he left you. Too much of these things end up in a surplus store or a thrift or a landfill.

[Torchlight]

10. The national tolerance enabling armed irrational behavior seems

counter-intuitive to the nation's general welfare. This guy's untenable actions and his hysterical, overly-emotional, knee-jerk reactions are to me, obvious symptoms of a problem we deny exists.

[jimfields33]

53. Wow.

[Johnny2X2X]

12. Daughter was 13 years old

Article didn't mention it.

Sorry dude, you don't get to point a gun at someone and make thenm exit their vehicle and lay on the ground because your daugfhter cvalled an Uber.

And where is the apology?

“That vehicle was completely unmarked,” Hollonbeck said. “I had no idea that, in my mind, this was not good, and everybody knows what’s going on in this country with fentanyl and child trafficking and rape. Terrible stuff.” He's MAGA for sure.

[LisaL]

14. Exactly.

I fail to see any remorse for pointing a gun on a completely innocent person. He doesn't believe he overreacted per his own words.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

27. And also in some of the comments, someone pointed out that child traffickers, rapists, etc.

don't bring the victims home.
This idiot is so full of shit that his eyers turned brown.

[haele]

54. She was 13? How did she get an Uber?

She or one of her friends used a parent or sibling's account?
Some banks and organizations do have credit cards available for 13 -17 year olds through a parents account, but I think there's an age limit for Uber and Lyft accounts in the US. Has to do with the ability to sign contracts more than anything.

Haele

[Conjuay]

23. Another Floriduh Looney toons.

The one product of Florida we can't seem to export.

[viva la]

33. People with guns so often go off half-cocked

They think the gun gives them all power.

[TheBlackAdder]

59. Other times they're born half-cocked and thus need a gun.

[viva la]

61. LOL!

[bringthePaine]

35. my experience is that Pensacola is awash in these psycho refuKKKchickens, driver is lucky to be alive

[LisaM]

36. What's an Uber doing picking up 13 year olds?

Parts of this story are extremely strange. She also apparantly had friends over, so why did she sneak out to Pensacola?

All that said, Florida has weird laws and the father sounds a little deranged. I noticed he raved about child trafficking and fentanyl. I was in a small town in Michigan the other day and we drove by a house with a huge sign out in front that said WAKE UP AMERICA, next to another sign with stars and stripes and an eagle, and behind it were more signs referencing child trafficking with numbers to call. I have seen people from my own home town go ballistic about it (of course, blaming Biden and Hillary Clinton). It is true that a certain segment of the population believes this to a frightening extent. And situations like this are the result.

[hunter]

42. I have a niece that age who easily passes as adult.

It's been rough on her and on her parents.

School has been especially tough. Teachers and school administrators, who should know better, forget she's a child and treat her more harshly than they do her classmates.

Without a doubt she could Uber anywhere and no driver would question her.

Fortunately she doesn't have parents who would threaten Uber drivers with guns.

Or possibly shoot her friends.

Our own children had their moments as teens. I'd wake up at two o'clock in the morning and discover strangers in our house, some of them the sorts of strangers who would make MAGA types shit their pants. I always figured if our dogs were okay with them they'd probably been invited.

[LisaM]

44. But don't you have to have a credit card?

And isn't there an age requirement, even if Uber doesn't stick to the rules? I can't even watch a soccer match on Peacock without at least stating that I am the adult account holder.

The driver also described her as "younger".

I want to be clear that I am in no way defending the father. Thank God no one was killed, though the driver will clearly be subject to PTSD for a long time. It's just that this story is strange on many levels.

[hunter]

48. I don't know how Uber is supposed to work.

I do know teens can be extremely resourceful.

I put my own parents through hell as a teen and young adult.

Had my parents been hot-heads with guns they might have shot me.

In my personal experience once the guns come out everything is FUBAR, as this guy has discovered.

He's screwed up his life, especially his relationship with his daughter, which may not have been all that healthy to begin with.

[LisaM]

49. And he's screwed up the driver's life.

All in all, it's good he is behind bars.

[getagrip_already]

52. She could have had an adult order her the ride....

Probably the same person who got her to pennsicola.

Uber will take a person who is not the caller, as long as that is noted when reserving the ride.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

62. you have an account attached to your bank account.. no cash

[ZonkerHarris]

57. uber picks up who ever orders a car

[Old Crank]

38. Assault with a deady weapon

Throw him in jail for many years and take all his guns for life.

[dchill]

45. "There is no situation that won't be improved...

...if I gun it up a little."

[LiberalFighter]

46. I don't care if he served in the military. Screw him

Have to wonder if he was drinking too.

[TxGuitar]

51. I came to post that same thing

“I trained as a Navy flight surgeon. I served with seven special forces. I served with the 160th. I served six tours,”

That doesn't give someone a right to break the law, or have more rights than others.

[mackdaddy]

55. My quick search says that a 'navy flight surgeon' is an actual Medical Doctor.

You would think they might be smarter than to pull a gun on someone without at least asking some questions.

I thought that these services just used an app on your smartphone, so if the 13 year old had her parents app on her phone then she could just order a ride. Never used one but some drivers have YT channels and then never ask for an ID, just see if the name matches who the app told them to pick up.

Actually if I had a teen, I would probably have them install the app. I would rather them be able to always get home rather than be stuck in a bad situation somewhere.

There are obviously some major problems with this family.

[drmeow]

50. He wants 12 moms and dads

on the jury - news flash, hothead, that Uber drive has a mom and dad and any mom and dad with a son is going to be scared shitless of your inappropriate behavior!

[MagickMuffin]

58. If the daughter has to sneak out then there's more there to this story

Sounds like dad is a moron with a bad temper who more than likely abuses his daughter.

And serving in the military doesn’t mean he gets to be a prosecutor or enforcer of laws that weren’t broken.