BRADENTON BEACH – An incident involving two Bradenton Beach police officers prompted Police Chief John Cosby to again voice concerns about the police department budget and staffing shortages.
During the June 1 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, Cosby provided an update on the policing efforts in the CRA district.
Noting that Bridge Street is filled to capacity on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Cosby said, “You can’t fit any more people down there.”
He said there are now issues with patrons lingering late at night after the businesses close.
“I only have two officers on. It’s hard to disperse that many people,” Cosby said.
He then referenced an incident involving a vehicle that left the Drift In parking lot during the early morning hours of May 29.
According to the probable cause report, an officer saw a vehicle driven by Steven Davis reverse at a high rate of speed and fishtail out of the Drift-In parking lot with no headlights on before striking a signpost. After eventually being wrestled to the ground and pepper-sprayed, Davis was arrested for resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication (see related story, page 9).
As that arrest took place, Davis’ companion, Torrie Kronk, was arrested for disorderly intoxication for the alleged verbal abuse she directed toward the arresting officers.
“One subject had to be wrestled to the ground. They wound up going to the hospital,” Cosby said. “They were tied up at the hospital for seven hours. An officer has to stay with them the entire time they’re there. The second person who was arrested also claimed injury and also went to the hospital and was there for seven hours. From 3 o’clock to 7 in the morning there were no officers available to take any calls in Bradenton Beach unless it was a priority call. Our mutual aid contracts with the other cities and the county only call for them to come out if we have a priority call. So, any other type of call went ignored until 7 o’clock – until the day shift officer came in.”
Cosby said the two officers were supposed to get off duty at 3 a.m. but wound up working until 10 a.m. and had to be back to work at 5 p.m. Sunday evening.
“I have eight patrol officers. I’m down two right now, and I have some that are taking vacation. I’m down to five people to cover all the shifts. I need more staff,” Cosby said.
Other issues
Cosby described the recent Memorial Day weekend as “total mayhem.” He said Manatee County Commission Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge rode with Manatee County Marine Rescue personnel that Sunday and witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by law enforcement and public safety personnel.
“He was in awe of what was going on out here. He responded with them to the fight calls we had over parking issues, which were multiple, and the sheer amount of traffic. There’s too many people coming here. There’s no place to put them,” Cosby said.
“It’s not my job to come up with an answer. This is a political issue. It’s your job to work with them (the county) to figure something out,” Cosby told the CRA members – five of whom also serve on the city commission.
Cosby said he’s raising from $35 to $40 the hourly rate the department charges the CRA for off-duty policing services in the CRA district that includes Bridge Street. He said other law enforcement agencies in the area charge $40-$45 for off-duty policing.
“If you can’t pay it, then we can’t provide the service. I can’t expect my people to go out there and not make the same amount of money other officers at other agencies are making,” Cosby said.
Regarding staffing shortages, Cosby said, “Myself and Lt. Diaz are covering shifts. I just don’t have anybody. I’m hoping to be back to a full staff in July. I have not been at full staff for three and a half years. Again, you’re getting what you pay for,” Cosby said.
CRA Chairman Ralph Cole said the CRA and the city commission have to figure out how to address the ongoing police funding concerns and he noted other city services may need to be reduced. Cole said the city needs more financial support from Manatee County and the other taxing authorities that place additional burdens on the city’s police department.
CRA member John Chappie noted the county-owned beaches and boat ramps make up one-third of Bradenton Beach and help attract 14,000-20,000 people to the city on any given Saturday or Sunday.
Previous comments
During the May 5 commission meeting, Cosby and two residents voiced their concerns about the city having one officer available to respond to an incident involving 10 people, a possible fight and a gun.
During that meeting, Cosby said more officers and more funds are needed if the city’s police department is going to keep up with the additional policing demands created by the constant influx of tourists and the continued growth in Manatee County.
BRADENTON BEACH – An encounter between police and an intoxicated couple on May 29 turned into an hours-long struggle to diffuse a situation that put both the police and the public in danger.
Bradenton Beach officers Devon Officer Straight and Roy Officer Joslin were on routine foot patrol at 2:30 a.m. on Bridge Street when they heard a verbal disturbance coming from a male and female leaving the Drift In bar, according to the police report. The officers didn’t see the couple get in their car, but they heard the vehicle rev its engine repeatedly, then reverse at a high rate of speed, fishtailing without any lights.
Officer Straight said the vehicle almost hit a sign and posed a hazard to large groups of people gathered in the area, so he and Officer Joslin used their flashlights to signal the vehicle to stop and they checked on the welfare and condition of the driver.
Later identified as Steven Clayton Davis, of Bradenton, the driver became verbally abusive with the officers and showed signs of intoxication, including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, according to the report. Davis put his car in park, but refused to open the door and get out of the vehicle after the officers asked him to do so. Officer Joslin opened the unlocked door from the outside and ordered Davis to exit the vehicle, which Davis refused to do. The officers began to extract Davis from the vehicle to prevent any danger to the public, officers and the suspect.
Once Davis was out of the vehicle, both officers attempted to detain him in handcuffs, which he resisted with force, according to the report. Once the officers secured him in handcuffs, he was taken to a patrol vehicle. While the officers attempted to put him in the back of the patrol car, Davis refused to sit in the back seat properly and leaned forward and dropped face first onto the pavement. While the officers attempted to get Davis off the ground, he yelled and threatened the officers, refusing to cooperate. He also managed to slip his handcuffed arms under his legs so the cuffs were on the front of his body. During the struggle with officers, who had no backup at the time, a Monkey Bus driver arrived on the scene and assisted officers in gaining control of the suspect, helping them get him into the back of the vehicle.
Once Davis was placed in the back of the patrol vehicle, officers say he used his handcuffed hands, which were still on the front side of his body, to try to break the window of the patrol car. The officers then opened the door again, warning Davis that he would be pepper sprayed if he didn’t calm down, according to the report. Not heeding the warning, Davis continued to try to leave the patrol car, resulting in officers pepper-spraying him and finally gaining some control of the tense situation.
Holmes Beach officers arrived on the scene to provide backup, since Officer Straight and Officer Joslin were the only officers on duty in Bradenton Beach. After Holmes Beach officers arrived, Officer Joslin was able to deal with the suspect’s female companion, Torrie Ann Kronk, who had been screaming threats and insults at the officers throughout the ordeal. Kronk was later arrested for obstruction for her role in the incident.
Officer Straight then took Davis to the police station for decontamination, standard procedure when anyone is pepper-sprayed by police, according to officers. Officer Straight used cool water from the hose in the police department parking lot until the suspect was satisfied he was decontaminated. Officer Joslin meanwhile completed arrest paperwork on Kronk.
Davis refused to sit on the bench in the police station quietly while he was processed. He threatened to kill the officers repeatedly while being processed, according to the report, and continued to resist arrest by trying to kick over a shelf containing valuable police equipment, resulting in the officers having to cuff his feet to the bench to prevent any damage during processing.Davis was charged with obstruction and disorderly intoxication in a public place causing a disturbance.
Due to injuries Davis sustained when he fell on his face trying to escape the police vehicle during the arrest, he was taken to the hospital before being transported to Manatee County Jail.
“The whole ordeal lasted from 2:30 a.m. to close to 7:30 a.m. because they struggled and there were injuries and were taken to the hospital,” Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz said. “It should be a simple misdemeanor arrest, but because of the injuries and the fact there was a male and female and you have to keep two officers with the female, it takes our officers away from the road.”
During the process of arresting the suspects, which took about five hours, there were no Bradenton Beach officers available to take calls for other emergencies. The department continues to seek funding for more staff to prevent similar situations in the future.
BRADENTON BEACH – Parking issues that caused police to write hundreds of tickets on Mother’s Day spilled over into Memorial Day weekend, police say.
Coquina Beach was chaos on the Sunday before Memorial Day, as well as the actual Monday holiday, with people choosing to form a new, illegal lane of parking that resulted in plenty of tickets being issued by Bradenton Beach police.
Dozens of drivers also parked illegally along the grassy area on the east side of Gulf Drive, resulting in numerous $75 dollar tickets.
“It’s been really busy, and people are parking wherever they want,” said Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz, who was getting out of his vehicle with a large stack of tickets from illegal beach parking when The Sun spoke to him the day before Memorial Day.
The issue in both Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach appears to be that many visitors would rather pay the $75 fine than try to find a legal parking space.
“I don’t care, it’s not much different than going to a theme park and paying a fortune for parking. As long as they’re not towing, we value our very limited family time more than the price of a ticket,” said Lindsay Harris, who was visiting Cortez Beach with her family from Lakeland. Holiday weekends are a favorite for Florida residents who are within driving distance from the beach.
“There were 122,045 cars between Friday, May 27 and Monday, May 30 that passed our license plate recognition devices in Holmes Beach,” said Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer. “I don’t have the exact number of tickets our department gave out, but I can tell you that one of my sergeants gave out 60 tickets himself on Memorial Day. I can tell you that I personally gave out 22 tickets on Memorial Day Monday.”
Tokajer echoes the Bradenton Beach police, saying the biggest issue was people parking wherever they want to. The chief also noted that people said that as long as the department wasn’t towing, they had little problem paying the ticket and leaving their vehicles parked.
July Fourth is less than a month away, and police expect more of the same when the holiday arrives. Police will continue to ticket, so anyone planning a day trip by car is advised to arrive as early as possible to obtain a legal parking spot and leave fireworks at home, as they are not permitted on the Island.
No additional parking will be available in Bradenton Beach, but parking will be allowed at Anna Maria Elementary School for the holiday weekend.
BRADENTON BEACH – Four agencies responded to a suicide attempt by an armed man on May 24 on the erosion control groins at Cortez Beach known as Twin Piers.
Responding to a 911 call at 12:26 p.m. about an attempted suicide in progress, Officer John Tsakiri and Lt. Lenard Diaz of the Bradenton Beach Police Department found a man sitting on the end of the pier with Manatee County Marine Rescue and EMS workers, according to their police report.
The man reportedly had asked a number of people to leave, including a grandmother and her young grandchild.
“I saw the way he was sitting with his right arm and hand between his legs, and I felt strongly he had a gun in that hand,” Tsakiri said. “I took out my binoculars to get a better look, but due to the way he was sitting, I still couldn’t see the gun. Lt. Diaz and I were walking towards the subject with our weapons drawn when we got a call on the radio from the MSO (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office) Marine Boat confirming he was holding a gun.”
After receiving confirmation that the subject was armed, both officers jumped off the cement pier to take cover behind it. Diaz continued to call to the armed man to put down the gun so they could talk, but the man continued to point it at his chest and head, screaming loudly at times and refusing the officer’s request.
“The last thing we wanted was for anyone to get hurt, but after continuing to ignore our commands, and at one point starting to stand up, I told Lt. Diaz that if he pointed the gun at us, I would have no choice but to engage him with my firearm,” Tsakiri said.
After sitting back down facing the water on the end of the pier, the armed man leaned forward and fell into the water as a gunshot was heard.
“I ran up to the water expecting to see blood in the water, but there was nothing. I didn’t see any wounds or blood. He missed,” Tsakiri said.
A Marine Rescue worker jumped in the water and recovered the man, who, after being brought to shore, was determined to be unharmed. He was transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital in a Baker Act action taken by police.
The gun was recovered by Marine Rescue Capt. Joe Westerman, who found it in the water near the scene of the incident. The 9 mm automatic handgun had eight live rounds remaining when it was recovered.
Tsakiri spoke to the man at Blake, who said he never wanted to harm anyone other than himself. He said he had been let go from his job in Sarasota earlier in the day and had not contacted his parents or girlfriend to inform them of his intentions to harm himself, according to the police report. No charges were filed.
BRADENTON BEACH – A new parking trend at Cortez Beach is not only making it difficult for legally parked vehicles to maneuver, but is leaving Bradenton Beach police no choice but to write tickets until their hands cramp.
On Mother’s Day, May 8, drivers parked their vehicles along Cortez Beach on Gulf Drive from north to south behind cars that were legally parked in east-west spaces. Bradenton Beach police say they aren’t sure why this is happening now, after the height of tourist season in March, but on May 14, what they hoped was an isolated problem due to a busy Sunday repeated itself, resulting in plenty of tickets.
“We wrote over 100 tickets on Mother’s Day, and wrote at least 60 today,” said Officer Charles Marose of the Bradenton Beach Police Department, speaking of the May 14 repeat of the Mother’s Day parking pattern. Both Marose and Lt. Lenard Diaz said it probably started with a couple of people, then when others saw the new lane of cars, they just followed the pattern, resulting in a snowball effect.
The penalty for illegal or double parking along the beach parking lots, as well as parking in grassy areas along Gulf Drive at Coquina Beach, is $75.
“I really don’t care; there are no spots available and they’re not towing, so we’ll just pay the ticket,” said Tom, who requested his last name not be used. Tom and his wife were on the Island for a three-day weekend May 14-16, visiting from Orlando.
Diaz also said the department had to tow several cars on Mother’s Day that were parked in the trolley turn-around area at Coquina Beach, an area that has clearly posted signs stating that cars aren’t even allowed to turn around there, much less park.
There are several options for beachgoers to avoid tickets and tows, yet still enjoy a day at the beach. The Anna Maria Island Trolley makes regular stops both north and southbound along Gulf Drive. The Old Town Tram, a golf cart shuttle, and the Monkey Bus can both be reached by phone for an arranged pickup.
BRADENTON BEACH – Police are warning unsuspecting visitors of a possible scam.
A group visiting from Illinois was staying at a rental unit on Avenue A in Bradenton Beach when a tan-colored late-1990s or early-2000s sedan pulled into the driveway and a Hispanic woman in her mid-30s to early 40s got out of the car and approached the renters, according to a report filed by Officer John Tsakiri on May 5.
She asked in broken English if they were owners or renters. The group confirmed that they were renting, and the woman asked if they had enough clean towels. She walked into the house through the garage, then walked out of the house and said “OK, I’m leaving.” The woman got into her car and left the rental unit.
The renters contacted the rental company and told them about the woman, who was not authorized to be there. Police believe this may be a scam to allow the woman to enter the home and search for valuables to steal if no one follows her.
Police urge you to report suspicious activity and not allow anyone in your rental unit unless you are aware in advance they will be coming. If you observe suspicious activity, call the police immediately at 941-778-6311 and report the incident.
BRADENTON BEACH – A recent incident involving a stolen car, a stolen gun and a skirmish brought residents and police to city hall to tell commissioners about fear and inadequate funding.
On April 26 at 8:50 p.m., Bradenton Beach Police Officer Kyle Orms responded to a report of a possible fight in progress at the Summer Sands condominium complex near the 1100 block of Gulf Drive North. On the way, Orms was advised that a gun and 10 or more people were involved.
“Upon arrival, I observed approximately 10 subjects gathered in the street around one male subject on the ground. The male subject, later identified as Jonathan France, 17 years old, appeared to be being held down by a female subject later identified as Laketa Taylor. After the group parted and Mrs. Taylor let Mr. France go, Mrs. Taylor began yelling that Mr. France had stolen her vehicle and a gun and was trying to get away; and that she had been holding him there for the police,” Orms stated in his report.
While speaking with Taylor, Orms learned she had previously filed a report with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in which she alleged France stole her vehicle and a gun from her residence.
“While attempting to detain Mr. France, he began slamming his head into a nearby vehicle. I then took Mr. France to the ground and was able to secure him in handcuffs. After securing Mr. France, multiple subjects began getting into their vehicles and leaving the scene,” Orms stated in his report.
Officers from the Holmes Beach Police Department arrived to provide additional assistance. Bradenton Beach Police Officer Thomas Ferrara also later responded to the scene.
Taylor had learned on Facebook that France was on the Island and brought several people with her to confront him, according to the report. When confronted, France tried to run, the group stopped him and he fell, “yelling that he wanted to kill himself” and slamming his head into the concrete.
Taylor held him down while her husband, Dwight Evans Jr., grabbed a gun that was laying on the ground. Evans left, returning when Orms asked Taylor to have him bring the gun back to the scene, according to the report.
According to Ferrara’s report, Taylor’s husband found his stolen handgun – a loaded 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol – while searching for the stolen vehicle that was found parked at the nearby Bridgeport condominium complex. Ferrara’s report notes Taylor’s car had a dead battery but was otherwise undamaged.
Orms ran a check that revealed France had been reported as missing and was the subject of multiple arrest warrants issued by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and one warrant issued in Sarasota. France was placed under arrest and transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton. After being medically cleared, he was transported to the juvenile assessment center.
“I was advised that due to Mr. France’s statements, he would need to be transported to Centerstone for Baker Act,” Orms stated in his report.
Residents’ concerns
Addressing the commission on May 5, Bradenton Beach resident Ken McDonough said, “What happened that night was a wake-up call to us on 10th, 11th and 12th Street North. Five carloads of individuals came to the neighborhood.”
McDonough said many of the individuals wore “dark hoodies” and some tried to enter the Summer Sands pool area, which was locked.
Resident Ken McDonough described the April 26 incident to the city commission. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“This wasn’t the normal thing for our neighborhood. As I went up towards 11th Street, I saw a bunch of individuals, one on the ground, and people screaming. At that point, somebody did get a hold of the police,” McDonough said.
“When the first officer showed up, everybody started to run in different directions. I was on the north side of the condominium garage. I went around to the south side and three carloads went out the south side of the garage, up Gulf Drive and crossed over the Cortez Bridge at a high rate of speed. The first policeman that showed up had his hands full. I was concerned for him because there were individuals screaming and running and by this time it was dark. I found out the next day that after the police left, two individuals came back into that garage and were looking for things,” McDonough said.
“In all the years I’ve been here I’ve never felt unsafe in Bradenton Beach. That night, everybody did in our neighborhood,” he added.
Resident Sheryl Blinde described her efforts to contact the police. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Sheryl Blinde was walking her dog as the events unfolded. Blinde told the commission she called 911 and explained what was happening to the operator. After being put on hold, she had to explain the situation again when her call was transferred to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
“I was frightened and I just wanted to get a hold of the police,” she said, questioning whether there’s a more effective way to handle calls for police assistance.
Chief’s concerns
The police chief also addressed the commission.
“There was a young man in town that’s been having some issues and maybe he was thinking about taking his life. He’d been on the Island for a while and was at another condo resort. They knew he was out of place and he was there for a few hours just sitting in his car and nobody called us. This could have been taken care of right then. If something doesn’t look right, call,” Cosby said.
“Speaking with people over the past couple days, they were concerned because after the incident became under control, people were still lingering around and none of the officers appeared to be talking to them. The other officers there were from Holmes Beach. Their job is only to assist our officers if something is physically happening, which at that point it wasn’t.
“I only had one officer on duty. Holmes Beach had three to four officers on duty and that’s why they responded as the backup. Our officer was tied up dealing with the young man and wound up Baker Acting him. Half-hour to 45 minutes later, our second officer, which is our midnight officer, came on duty. He processed the car and processed the gun. So, he also was out of commission dealing with those two things,” Cosby said.
Cosby then addressed the annual budgets for two neighboring police departments.
“The city of Holmes Beach has three to four people on duty every shift. His budget is $3.5 million. The town of Longboat Key has three to four people on duty. They actually have it written in their manual that no less than two people can be working per shift. Their budget is $3.5 million. My budget is $1.36 million. I can’t provide that kind of service, so you’re getting what you pay for. Every year, the department heads are told, ‘We’re not raising taxes. Make do with what you have,’ ” Cosby said.
“As the county grows, and more people continue to move here, these types of incidents are going to become more prevalent. We have to figure something out because we can’t keep doing this. Somebody’s going to get seriously hurt. I only have so many people and I can only do so many things, so it falls back to you,” Cosby told the commission.
Cosby also discussed the city phone system the public uses to contact the police department.
“The phone system has been in disarray for five years. Every year we were told there’s no money to fix it. We paid $30,000 to put a patch in that doesn’t work,” Cosby said.
“The way the phone system’s supposed to work is at 4 o’clock we forward it to the sheriff’s office front desk. The deputies that work the front desk take the call, send it up to dispatch and an officer responds for a non-emergency. You know what happens? When they call the after-hours number, once in a while it will go through to the sheriff’s office. The second option is the call drops or it goes to the voice mail for the police department,” Cosby said.
Cosby said the phone system is finally getting replaced thanks to federal funds the city received as part of the federal government’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Regarding the police department budget, Mayor John Chappie said, “Every year we talk about the police department. We know you’ve been short-handed.”
Commission response
Chappie said Cosby recently told him the starting salary for a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy is increasing to $62,000. According to Cosby, the starting salary for a Bradenton Beach officer is $47,000.
Cosby said he’s still operating with nine officers instead of 10 because one officer is still recovering from an injury suffered long ago while making an arrest. Chappie said he and Cosby have talked about having two officers on duty at night.
“We’ve got to do something,” Chappie said.
Mayor John Chappie shares the police chief’s concerns. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Chappie said he and the two other Anna Maria Island mayors recently met with state Sen. Jim Boyd and state Rep. Will Robinson. The mayor said he reminded the legislators that the single-family homes once occupied by three or four people have been replaced by large vacation rental homes occupied by 10-20 people, which puts more pressure on the police department and the city’s limited resources.
Chappie said he encouraged Boyd and Robinson to help change the state law that currently prohibits cities and counties from using tax revenues generated by the county’s 5% tourist tax for infrastructure improvements and law enforcement.
“You can’t ask the citizens of Bradenton Beach to be burdened with that extra expense,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said. “It’s got to be coming from the county or someplace else because Bradenton Beach cannot afford to have a big police department.”
“Since Manatee County is growing so big, they need to contribute a little extra or allow us to take some of the tax dollars for the police department,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said.
Cosby said the city of Holmes Beach has made multiple police funding requests to the county, but to no avail.
Commissioner Marilyn Maro said investor-owned vacation rental homes are placing a greater burden on the police department and those investors should be required to help fund the additional policing needs.
Chappie said he and Cosby have talked to City Attorney Ricinda Perry about the potential implementation of a public safety impact fee for new construction.
“That is something we are going to be looking at seriously,” Chappie said.
Commissioner Jake Spooner said it’s unlikely the city will receive any additional outside funds for the police department.
“There’s not much fat in our budget, but we’ve got to make it happen,” Spooner said.
BRADENTON BEACH – Levi Oxendine, 22, of Bradenton, was arrested on March 30 for the theft of two bicycles – one that he was riding, and the other that he had on the handlebars.
Oxendine was riding northbound in the 2800 block of Gulf Drive when Officer Eric Hill spotted him. The rider looked panicked when he saw the patrol vehicle, and began to pedal faster in an effort to get away, Hill wrote in his report. When Hill turned on his emergency lights and called out for him to stop, Oxendine got rid of the second bike and took off in the opposite direction.
Oxendine
Oxendine cut through yards to try to avoid capture, but Hill was able to cut him off on Avenue E, according to the report. Oxendine slipped on loose gravel and cut his ankle, at which time EMS was called to treat the injury. Officer Tom Ferrara arrived on the scene to assist in the arrest and found Oxendine in possession of a methamphetamine pipe.
Both bikes were found to be stolen from Runaway Bay Condos, and the owners both wished to press charges.
When the officers ran a warrant check on Oxendine, they found he was wanted on multiple felony warrants for burglary, larceny and other charges in Manatee and Sarasota counties. According to records obtained from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Oxendine has a record going back to 2017 with multiple felonies, including vehicle theft, drug charges and grand theft. He was arrested for burglary, obstruction and possession of drug paraphernalia and held in Manatee County Jail on $10,000 bond.
The bike arrest was the second in less than a week.
Hill also arrested Kelly Martin, of Bradenton Beach, for burglary on Avenue C on March 25 for entering a property where she formerly resided and stealing a bicycle from the current owner who stored it in a laundry room.
Hill said that despite the arrests, owners should always lock their bikes or secure them indoors.
BRADENTON BEACH – Police lights and the sound of helicopter blades woke residents early last Saturday morning as a driver blew past a Holmes Beach Police Department officer in the 2800 block of Gulf Drive, beginning a high-speed chase.
Donald Smith
HBPD Officer Frank Price was driving north when he saw Donald Smith’s vehicle speeding south, according to the police report. Price turned on his lights and siren and tried to catch up with the grey sedan, but the suspect continued to speed up. Smith appeared to attempt to stop as he neared the intersection of Gulf Drive and Cortez Road. Price saw a Bradenton Beach Police Department patrol car turn his lights on and turn into Gulf Stream Beach Resort at 1501 Gulf Drive. BBPD Officer Roy Joslin asked Price on the police radio whether HBPD was chasing the sedan and said BBPD Officer Devon Straight had followed the car to the parking lot.
According to the police report, Straight said he saw the vehicle come to a stop and saw Smith jump out of the driver’s seat and run into the woods behind the condo. Straight also identified the passenger, Koreiyale Johnson, and stayed with her and the vehicle. When Price arrived on the scene, he confirmed it was the vehicle he had been chasing. Johnson confirmed the driver of the vehicle was Smith, her boyfriend, and gave police a description of him and what he was wearing.
Officers found a white medicine bottle on the ground by Smith’s vehicle that contained a white powdery substance inside a plastic bag. They also found a large amount of marijuana inside the vehicle. Johnson denied knowing any drugs were in the car.
Police found that Smith’s vehicle had crashed into a parked car before he fled, so police upgraded charges to fleeing and eluding, as well as multiple drug charges. Smith fled into the mangroves but police could not locate him, so they requested assistance from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s helicopter, which was dispatched to Bradenton Beach to assist in the search. The helicopter crew alerted police that Smith was spotted on Canasta Drive where he ran onto a dock and jumped in the water, hiding under the dock.
With the help of the helicopter, officers were able to capture Smith in the water, bringing him to patrol cars waiting on Avenue B. Smith was arrested for possession with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, leaving the scene of a crash, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, unknowingly driving with a suspended license and driving too fast for a narrow or winding road.
Smith was arrested and transported to HBPD for paperwork, then transported to the Manatee County Jail. Bond was set at $3,620.
BRADENTON BEACH – This time last year, 68 boats – many derelict – were moored or anchored in Sarasota Bay off the coast of Bradenton Beach.
As of Sept. 3, that number is down to 15, largely due to an increase in patrolling by the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
Though it is legal for anyone to moor or anchor their boat in the shallow water of the bay, there are laws that the crafts must adhere to.
“To legally be here, a boat has to run under its own power and be seaworthy,” Acting Police Chief Lt. John Cosby said. “The registration also has to be up to date and it must be able to be steered and maneuvered.”
To assure compliance with these regulations, Officer Eric Hill and other members of the department regularly patrol the bay on their boat, checking for up-to-date registrations and obvious violations. This can include a craft that has taken on water because windows or hatches have been left open, excessive barnacle buildup on the hull or missing sails and motors.
Officers can ask boat operators to demonstrate the seaworthiness of their craft at any time. If the owner cannot demonstrate the boat is in working order, they are issued a warning citation and given a period of time to make the necessary repairs. If there is no one present and officers see the boat is in obvious disrepair, they will attach the warning or citation to the craft.
“Wet storage” is the term used to identify an unoccupied boat not currently running. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
If necessary repairs are not made after a craft is warned or cited, the department runs the registration number and begins a derelict case on the boat. This process involves taking photos to prove the boat is not in working order, then sending a certified letter to the last known owner. According to Cosby, this doesn’t always get results because boats are often bought and sold without changing registration with the state.
“Let’s say I own that boat and I sold it to you, then I don’t tell the state that I sold the boat and you live on it. When a derelict report is filed on that boat, I’m responsible, not you,” said Cosby, explaining the complexities that can come into play when trying to get a derelict boat out of the bay.
According to Cosby, in some instances, boat owners will get in over their heads. Whether it was a dream of fixing up an older boat and the expense got out of hand, learning that living on a boat is more difficult than it may have seemed in the beginning or even having a boat sink, the dream often dies and the boat is left to deteriorate in the water. Officials understand this and have a way out for owners who are past the point of no return.
“If they can’t fix the boat, they can do what’s called a title sign-over. They give us the title to the boat and the city becomes the owner of the property,” said Cosby. While this may not be the desired outcome for the boat owner, it’s a way out. The owner doesn’t incur any fines and is not responsible for the cost of removing the vessel from the water.
With no sail or working motor, this is an example of a boat that is not currently up to code. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
The reasons for stepping up enforcement are mostly for safety, according to Hill, who pointed out numerous places along the Bradenton Beach Pier where there was new lumber from repairs made due to loose boats crashing into it during storms. Sunken boats and boats that have broken free of their moorings and run into shore are easy to spot on the bay. In addition to crashing into piers and shore, there is also a risk of collision with other craft in the water.
Cosby says while the new enforcement has shown amazing results and made the bay a much safer place, it took putting a plan into place and some education to make it happen.
“We got the city to adopt an ordinance; we had to go to court a few times, the judges really weren’t used to dealing with this so there was some courtroom education there to make sure fines were being levied against them. Eventually, word got out and some went over to Palmetto and some went south. They just realized they weren’t going to get away with it here,” Cosby added.
Cosby says his department is unique in the seriousness of their enforcement, saying only Sarasota is as strict, patrolling the area around Marina Jack.
The Bradenton Beach Police Department does not have a regular schedule of boat patrols. Unlike getting in a cruiser on land and taking to the streets, there are factors that can make it difficult to patrol the water. This can be especially problematic during the summer months when pop-up storms can be severe. Cosby also said the recent red tide has made it difficult to be on the water.
The effect of heavy summer rain is also easy to spot while on the water in the area where many of the boats in the bay are moored or anchored. “Listing” is a nautical term for a vessel that has taken on water and begins to lean to one side. There are multiple examples of this currently in the bay. If a boat is left listing and the water is not removed, it will eventually take on enough water to completely roll over and capsize. While most of the time a listing boat is not occupied and probably not a safety hazard to anyone onboard, it becomes a costly cleanup and removal project for the city, and may even prove to be an environmental problem as well.
BRADENTON BEACH – Lt. John Cosby is now the acting chief of the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
The “acting” designation will be removed from Cosby’s title in early October when current Police Chief Sam Speciale’s 35 years of service come to an official end.
Cosby was appointed acting police chief during the Thursday, Sept. 2 city commission meeting. He now carries all duties, responsibilities and authority given to the city’s police chief. Cosby joined the police department in 1988 and has long served as Speciale’s second in command.
When Speciale tendered his resignation to the city commission last October, he said his final day would be Oct. 9, 2021 – a date that marks 35 years to the day since Speciale joined the department.
Because he accrued so much vacation time and other paid time off during his 3 1/2 decades with the city, Speciale recently decided he would discontinue his active police duties as he waits for his retirement to become official in October.
Earlier this year, Speciale sold his home in Bradenton Beach. He now lives in Bradenton and he and his wife, MaryAnn, now spend much of their free time at their cabin in Georgia.
When proposing Cosby’s appointment as acting chief, Mayor John Chappie suggested Cosby’s salary be immediately increased to the current salary earned by Speciale. According to City Treasurer Shayne Thompson, Speciale’s current annual salary is $109,054 and was to increase to $114,507 when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.
“He’s doing the work, he’s done the time, it’s only fair,” Chappie said, noting that he spoke to Speciale about the transition taking place.
Chappie also proposed giving Cosby a $2,500 bonus as compensation for the additional work he’s done during the transition period leading up to Speciale’s pending retirement. The rest of the commission supported the proposed salary increase and the bonus.
Cosby said he appreciated the immediate salary increase offer, but declined to take it because he does not want to impact the final remaining weeks of the police department’s current fiscal year budget. Cosby said he has some departmental expenditures he would rather spend that money on instead.
Cosby said he would accept the mayor and commission’s offer of a $2,500 bonus. Chappie then suggested, and the commission agreed, to increase the bonus by an additional $2,500 using Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds in appreciation of all the extra work Cosby has done regarding CRA projects and in the CRA district as a whole. The CRA portion of the $5,000 bonus is still contingent on final approval by the seven-member CRA board that includes all five city commission members.
Acting Police Chief John Cosby has developed strong working relationships with city officials, city residents, local business owners and his fellow officers since joining the police force in 1988. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The commission also approved Cosby’s request that he be allowed to reserve his right to work special duty shifts that include marine patrols of the anchorage south of the Bridge Street Pier and other policing duties. Cosby will also continue his long-held role as the city’s emergency operations manager.
Chappie and the commission praised Cosby and Speciale for their many years of service to the city.
“I’ve known the lieutenant and I’ve known the chief for a long, long time. I know that they work together as a team to make this place what we’ve got right now. I want to thank you and him (Speciale),” Commissioner Ralph Cole said.
“You look at our community and the amount of crime and they’ve done an excellent job. My dad was mayor when Chief Sam came in. A lot of good things happened. These guys put us where we’re at right now. They’ve done an extremely great job. John deserves everything that we can give him. I know how hard you work. I’ve watched you work over the years. You should get everything you deserve,” Cole said.
Bradenton Beach Police Chief Sam Speciale announced his retirement last October. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When discussing a brief potential pre-retirement return to the police department headquarters by Speciale before his retirement becomes official, Cosby jokingly said, “He better come back at some point because he left a lot of stuff in the office that has to go.”
After the meeting ended, Cosby shared some additional thoughts on his new role as chief and the chief’s duties he’s been performing during the transition period.
“Sam’s been semi-retired and working off his paid time. There will be some changes with the police department – stuff that Sam and I have talked about in the past – that are now going to come to fruition,” Cosby said.
Cosby was asked if he plans to appoint someone to serve as his second in command, similar to the role he served under Speciale for many years.
“Yes, I’ll make that announcement in October. I’m going to promote somebody from within,” Cosby said, noting the officer who gets promoted will hold the rank of lieutenant that he himself held for many years.
“We’re lucky to have you,” Commissioner Marilyn Maro said to Cosby as she exited city hall.
BRADENTON BEACH – It was a terrifying ordeal for Louise Augustin and her three young children after a drive to Coquina Beach quickly turned into an armed carjacking.
The mother and her three children were sitting in her car when a man armed with a knife approached the vehicle and demanded the keys.
The suspect, later identified as Bradenton resident Steven Lewter, 43, got in the car with his belongings while waving a knife, according to the police report. He attempted to drive away but realized that Augustin didn’t have the car keys, which were with her husband, who had already left the car. The three children were still in the back seat, causing the victim to fear for her family’s life. According to the victim’s statement to Bradenton Beach police, she began screaming and the suspect took off running.
Further down the road, Lewter approached a second victim, Zachary Peel, as he was sitting alone in his car on Coquina Beach. Lewter allegedly pointed his knife at Peel and said, “This is a carjacking” while trying to pull the vehicle’s door open. According to police, Peel got out of the car and prepared to defend himself at which time Lewter swung the knife at him, cutting Peel’s finger in the process. Peel was able to subdue Lewter until officers arrived and took him into custody. The cut on Peel’s hand was minor and didn’t require medical attention.
Coquina Beach, the scene of the recent attempted carjacking.
According to Bradenton Beach Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz, the suspect appeared to be intoxicated at the time of his arrest and was upset about going through a break-up with his girlfriend.
“We’re really not sure what the motivation was to steal the car, where he was going to go with it, or anything like that,” said Diaz.
Lewter has an extensive criminal record and was on probation at the time of the crime, according to police. Because of the severity of the crimes and the probation violations, he is being held at the Manatee County Jail without bond pending his trial. Lewter has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and two counts of carjacking with a weapon. His trial is set for Oct. 25 with Judge Frederick Mercurio presiding.
Diaz said this was the first carjacking since a man jacked a Corvette about five years ago, crashing it moments later on the Longboat drawbridge. While incidents such as these are rare on Anna Maria Island, police remind everyone to be aware of their surroundings and remember that anywhere a great number of relaxed tourists are present, there is always the possibility of criminals taking advantage of people letting their guard down.
BRADENTON BEACH – What began as a battery charge over a spilled bottle of vodka has turned into William Clayton Corbitt’s conviction on battery and witness tampering.
Corbitt, 41, a homeless man, pled no contest to felony battery and tampering with a witness on July 30, according to Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court records. He was adjudicated guilty and placed on probation for 24 months with credit for time served in county jail. He also was ordered to complete an eight-week anger management class and perform 100 hours of community service work.
On June 2, 2019, Bradenton Beach police responded to a fight in progress at Coquina Beach. They found the victim, Michael Ravenscraft, covered in blood from a large gash on his face. Marine rescue workers responded to treat his injuries, then took him to Blake Hospital for stitches and further treatment.
Before being transported by EMS, Ravenscraft told police that he had been sitting with a friend at a picnic table when Corbitt approached him. Corbitt and Ravenscraft talked about splitting a bottle of vodka but Ravenscraft left with the bottle, then returned and told Corbitt he had dropped it and there wasn’t any left in the bottle. An altercation then took place after Corbitt became upset about the missing vodka. He picked up a broken tree branch and struck Ravenscraft in the face, causing what the police report called “permanent disfigurement” to Ravenscraft.
Corbitt had fled the scene, but was located minutes later hiding under the Cortez bridge where he was arrested by Bradenton Beach police and taken to jail. A witness on the scene confirmed that Corbitt was the aggressor.
The Manatee County State Attorney’s Office filed the case, and on Feb. 24, 2021, recorded calls from jail showed that Corbitt attempted to tamper with the victim in order to compel him not to testify.
“Listen pops, I’m facing a PBL (punishable by life offense),” said Corbitt in the jail call to an unknown person. He went on to say that he was going to file for a speedy trial because if the prosecution didn’t have a warm body to testify, they would have to drop the case, according to court records. The defendant then told the subject on the phone to get somebody to help if he could.
BRADENTON BEACH – Two construction workers fell from a height of more than 30 feet on Wednesday, June 23, killing one and seriously injuring the other.
According to the Bradenton Beach Police Department, the fall happened at 5:40 p.m. as the men were standing on a makeshift scaffolding near the top of the three-story condo at 203 Bay Drive N.
“We’re guessing that the nails holding their scaffold just gave out. A witness who was next door said she heard a cracking sound before seeing the first man fall. The second man fell shortly after,” Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz said.
Abelino Olvera, 49, of Arcadia, was found dead when police arrived at the scene. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Police identified the second man as Daniel Leon Thomas, who was transported to Blake Medical Center with serious injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery. Both were contract laborers, according to police.
BRADENTON BEACH – As of today, no additional details have been provided on the possible murder-suicide discovered at 2514 Ave. C in Bradenton Beach on Saturday, Oct. 17.
When contacted Monday, lead investigating officer Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz from the Bradenton Beach Police Department said he was still unable to provide any additional details on the incident that resulted in the violent deaths of Sabrina Dumdei, 37, and Zachary Winton, 34.
Diaz attended the autopsies conducted Monday, Oct. 19 and a week later was still awaiting the autopsy results. Police Chief Sam Speciale said the department is also awaiting toxicology report results.
The morning after the deaths were first discovered, Diaz said, “A possible murder-suicide is what it appears to be at this time, but the investigation will be going on for quite a while. Going through the crime scene and photos, I’ll try to put something together, but it’s going to be speculation because there’s no witnesses and nobody saw anything.”
In the wake of her sister’s tragic death, Crystal Dumdei helped create a Sabrina Dumdei GoFundMe online fundraising page that as of early Monday afternoon had raised $12,205 from 109 donors.
“We are starting this GoFundMe to help her family in this time of need with funeral costs and all other expenses. Sabrina was a kind, beautiful, funny, loving, caring, smart woman with a heart of gold. This is an extremely difficult time for her loved ones, and every little thing helps. Thank you for all of your support and love, God bless,” the GoFundMe page says.
Sabrina Dumdei was a well-known hairdresser who had many clients and friends on and around Anna Maria Island.
Prior to their deaths, Dumdei and Winton were involved in three recently documented domestic incidents dating back to July that resulted in responses from the Bradenton Police Department or the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
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