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Cortez man dies in shooting at home

Cortez man dies in shooting at home

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Cortez.

CORTEZ – Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) detectives are investigating a shooting incident that resulted in the death of 76-year-old Cortez resident Andrew “Drew” Douglas on Tuesday, July 29.

Deputies responded to a report of a shooting inside a home in the 12300 block of Baypointe Terrace shortly before noon. Upon arrival, they encountered 35-year-old Ian Douglas rendering aid to his father, who had been shot once in the neck, according to MCSO.

Emergency medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures on Andrew Douglas, but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead at 12:20 p.m.

Ian Douglas reportedly told deputies he was showing his father a handgun when it accidentally went off. After further investigation, detectives charged Ian Douglas with manslaughter by culpable negligence. He was booked into the Manatee County Jail.

As of Wednesday morning, t

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Suspect charged in Sunny Shores shooting

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Community News, Cortez, Featured.

CORTEZ – A suspect is in custody charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one count of battery after a shooting at the Sunny Shores Mobile Home Park the night of June 6.

According to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office press release, Kevin R. Armstrong allegedly confronted a 33-year-old female who arrived at a residence in the 3900 block of 116th Street West around 8:08 p.m. with two males on a golf cart to retrieve some personal items.

Law enforcement responded to reports of a shootout in Cortez on Thursday, June 6. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

Detectives said that Armstrong and the female victim had been in a domestic relationship, and he had allegedly slapped the victim in the face earlier in the evening.

A verbal altercation between Armstrong and the victim quickly escalated, according to the release. During the argument, Armstrong allegedly grabbed a shotgun and shot at her as she and the two males accompanying her tried to flee the home, resulting in the female victim being shot in the chest.

One of the men with the victim retrieved a handgun from the golf cart and allegedly returned multiple rounds of fire in Armstrong’s direction, but did not hit him. The three, including the injured female, fled the area on the golf cart to 119th Street West and 45th Avenue West, according to the release.

At 8:45 p.m., according to West Manatee Fire Rescue (WMFR) Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski, an unidentified male victim was assessed for a gunshot wound to the foot at 3916 116th St. W. but refused treatment.

MCSO deputies confronted Armstrong at the 116th Street West address, where he was attempting to hide inside the residence, according to the release. After being ordered to surrender to police, he complied and was taken into custody. Other deputies met with the  victims at 45th Avenue West to gather further information.

The female victim was transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, where she was treated for a gunshot wound to the chest. As of this morning, she was listed in stable condition.

The investigation is ongoing.

Beach House employee killed in Bradenton shooting

Beach House employee killed in Bradenton shooting

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON – A Manatee High School wrestler and employee of the Beach House Waterfront Restaurant in Bradenton Beach was tragically killed in a March 8 shooting in Bradenton.

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s (MCSO) Public Information Officer Randy Warren said a suspect in the shooting has been arrested. The victim, Jann Michael Feeney, 17, known to friends and family as J.M., was said by friends and family to be a talented athlete with a great level of sportsmanship and a hard worker loved by his Beach House co-workers and many friends.

Shortly after 7 p.m. on March 8, MCSO deputies responded to a report of a shooting with injuries. When they arrived they found a 17-year-old male lying in the backyard of a residence with a gunshot wound to his chest. Deputies performed life-saving measures until EMS responded. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Witnesses told detectives multiple teenagers were hanging out in the backyard of a residence in the 5900 block of Eighth Avenue Drive West, Bradenton,” Warren said. “Through investigative means, detectives developed probable cause early the morning of March 9 to arrest Carter Layne, 17, for Manslaughter with a Firearm. He was taken into custody at his home in Parrish.”

Warren also said the investigation continues, and his department believes there are more individuals who were at the scene and may have information that will help paint the picture of exactly what happened. MCSO is currently working to speak with those individuals. According to Warren, alcohol was present at the party.

“This is exactly why guns can’t be in these types of situations,” Warren said. “This is a tragic case of a loss of life that could have been prevented, and our hope is to not see it happen again.”

The Beach House set up a GoFundMe page for the Feeney family with a goal of $12,500. As of the time this story was written, they had raised more than $30,000.

A celebration of life was held at The Center of Anna Maria Island on March 16, where friends and family gathered to remember the young man who was taken from them too soon. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the Feeney family can visit https://gofund.me/bdac2632.

Warren also said the investigation continues, and his department believes there are more individuals that were at the scene and may have information that will help paint the picture of exactly what happened. MCSO is currently working to speak with those individuals. According to Warren, alcohol was present at the party.

“This is exactly why guns can’t be in these types of situations,” Warren said. “This is a tragic case of a loss of life that could have been prevented, and our hope is to not see it happen again.”

The Beach House set up a GoFundMe page for the Feeney family with a goal of $12,500 goal. As of the time this story was written, they had raised more than $30,000. There was also a celebration of life held at the Center of Anna Maria Island March 16, where friends and family gathered to remember the young man who was taken from them for too soon. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the Feeney family can go to https://gofund.me/bdac2632. 

Police investigate gunshots in Holmes Beach

Police investigate gunshots in Holmes Beach

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Shots were fired, but who fired them and exactly where they were fired remains a mystery after all of the Island’s three police departments participated in the search for the shooter.

The incident began on Feb. 10 at 10:03 p.m. when Holmes Beach Police Department (HBPD) Officer Chris Bennett was getting into his patrol car at the HBPD station and heard two gunshots coming from the south nearby. Bennett advised dispatch of the shots and requested that Officer Ryan Welch respond to the area, believing the shots came from the area of the Waterline Hotel, 5325 Marina Drive, or the area of 5200 Gulf Drive.

While searching around the Waterline, Bennett spoke with a bystander who said she had not heard the shots, and he found no physical evidence of the shots coming from that area. At the same time, Welch was checking the parking lot in the area of D Coy Ducks bar across the street. An employee of the bar told Welch he had also heard the shots, and thought they had come from the area near Hurricane Hanks restaurant, 5410 Marina Drive, possibly behind the building on the 52nd Street side of the business.

Shortly after, HBPD dispatch got a call from a concerned citizen in the area of 46th Street who also heard the shots nearby, but couldn’t provide an exact location.

Officers Bennett and Welch went on foot to check the beach access parking lot at 100 52nd St.

“While checking the parking lot, we heard two additional gunshots very close to our south,” Bennett said in his official report. “They were possibly coming from the 50th Street beach access area.”

Officers from the Bradenton Beach Police Department (BBPD) and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) arrived at the scene to assist in the search.

“I deployed my agency-issued AR-15 rifle, and Officer Welch deployed his agency-issued shotgun,” Bennett said in his report. “Along with the aforementioned law enforcement officers from neighboring agencies, conducted a thorough check until approximately 10:45 p.m. of the area between 47th Street and 52nd Street while on foot.”

An MCSO helicopter was requested but was not available to assist at the time. After an extensive ground search, no suspect could be located by officers. There were no gunshot wound victims that night, and no related property damage was reported. Anyone with information on the incident should contact the Holmes Beach Police Department.

Slaying the messenger

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

For as many years as we have had a free press, journalists have been protected by an unwritten code that essentially says, “Don’t slay the messenger.”

That code was broken yesterday when a gunman who had a beef with a newspaper in Annapolis, Md. allegedly opened fire on the newsroom, slaughtering five unarmed employees. As he pulled the trigger, he reportedly said something about “false news,” a favorite chant of a president that takes on the truth on a regular basis. Whether his comments added to the animosity against the press remains to be seen.

If you were around during Watergate, you will recall Bernstein and Woodward didn’t take a stand against President Richard Nixon, they only reported the truth, and many people who worked at the White House spilled the beans to the reporters because they were disgusted at what they saw.

This gunman allegedly had a personal disagreement with the Capital Gazette and now five people are dead. It’s not the fault of the system or of a president who disagrees with the press, but it looks like we reporters should be a little more cautious as we do our job.

But we will do our job despite the shooting. I promise you that.

– Tom Vaught, reporter since 1971

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Officer shoots knife-wielding man in Anna Maria

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Beach Beat, Community News, Featured.

Updated Jan. 1, 2018

ANNA MARIA – A Bradenton Beach police officer shot and wounded an armed man Saturday night, according to a police report.

Authorities said that Bradenton resident Douglas Schofield, 45, armed with a military-style knife and hatchet, was walking toward police and disregarding orders to put the weapons down when Bradenton Beach Police Officer Eric Hill shot him once in the chest.

The incident took place about 7:30 p.m. near the intersection of Gulf Drive and Pine Avenue in this small, usually quiet city on the north end of Anna Maria Island.

shooting scene
Police investigate the scene of a shooting on Dec. 30. – Ken Jackson | Submitted

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office press release states: “At approximately 7:25 p.m. on 12/30/17, deputies responded to a report of a subject threatening to harm himself in Anna Maria. The subject, Douglas Schofield, DOB 10/28/1972, was located near the intersection of Gulf Drive and Pine Avenue.

“Officers from the Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach Police Departments also responded. The subject was armed with a hatchet and a knife. During the incident, the subject was shot by a Bradenton Beach officer and a deputy used their electronic control weapon. The subject was transported to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound. He was reported to be in stable condition. FDLE is investigating the shooting.”

Sunday morning, Lt. John Cosby, of the Bradenton Beach Police Department, confirmed that it was Hill who shot Schofield. Hill has been suspended with pay while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) conducts an investigation requested by local authorities.

According to the Sheriff’s Office website, Schofield has never been arrested before and as of Sunday morning, no charges had been filed pertaining to this incident. A search of  Manatee County court records produced no history of court cases. According to Manatee County voting records, Schofield lives in Bradenton and is a registered voter.