Bradenton SWAT team coaxes murder suspect to surrender

BRADENTON -- Bradenton police SWAT team members on Sunday afternoon surrounded an apartment at the Bradenton Village Apartments complex, and Kelly McPherson, 22, came out on a second-floor patio and raised his hands in surrender.

With that gesture, Bradenton police took into custody the man they say fatally shot Keyvis McCullough while his 1-year-old son stood nearby.

McCullough died after being shot at 1 p.m. Sept. 5 in the 700 block of 12th Avenue West, Bradenton.

"I can confirm at 3 p.m. today we placed Kelly McPherson into custody," Bradenton Police Lt. James Racky said Sunday afternoon. "He was apprehended in an apartment located nearly 10th Avenue West and Seventh Street West. He gave himself up without incident."

McPherson's first appearance before a judge will be Monday morning, and Racky said he does not expect McPherson to be granted bond.

Authorities were able to arrest McPherson because of a tip, Racky said.

"Someone walked into the apartment and saw him there and came out and called us," Racky said.

"I think it is great that he is in custody," Racky added. "The fact that he has been on the run so long disgusts me. He had no job. People were feeding him and letting him sleep in their houses. I think about this case every day. This takes a load off my mind."

The tip came in shortly after 2:15 p.m., and by 2:45 p.m. an alert went out to Bradenton SWAT team members to assemble, Racky said.

"Only two or three guys were on duty, so we had to wait for more to arrive," Racky said.

It's possible the tipster will get a Crime Stoppers reward, Racky said.

"I believe the tip came through the normal police phone line," Racky added. "The person who called saw him in that apartment and left and called us. I think that is great. We need a lot more of that to solve a lot of crimes. The community needs to

know the tips we ask for will get results, and the suspects need to know the community does not want them on the street. Hopefully, with this kind of help, we will stop the little crime we are seeing now."

Son sees McCullough shot

At 1:14 p.m. on Sept. 5, Bradenton police received a 911 call from an unknown caller reporting that a man had been shot. Police arrived at the scene and found McCullough with gunshot wounds.

McCullough was taken to Blake Medical Center, where he died.

At the time of the shooting, Bradenton homicide detective Jim Curulla said he interviewed the victim's sister, who said she was standing about 20 feet away from her brother, along with her brother's son and the baby's mother, when he was shot, according to an affidavit.

The shooter, known to her as "Kelly B" walked up to him and shot him three times at close range, Curulla said.

The victim's sister also told the detective that "Kelly B" was new to the neighborhood but that she had an hour-long conversation with him a couple weeks prior. She told the detective where McPherson was staying with family in the 1000 block of Eighth Street West.

A Department of Corrections photo of McPherson was shown to the sister and she identified him as the shooter.

Shortly after, Manatee County Sheriff's Office homicide detective Jeff Bliss spoke with McPherson's mother at her home, the address they had been given by the victim's sister, the affidavit states. The mother confirmed McPherson was her son, but said she had no idea where he was living or why he was using her address for his probation address. At the time of the slaying, McPherson was on probation for a burglary in Sarasota County, according to Department of Corrections records.

About an hour after his capture, McPherson was being interviewed by Curulla, also of the Manatee County Homicide Unit, and he was expected to be taken to the Manatee County jail later and booked on one charge of first-degree murder for the death of McCullough, Racky said.

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.

This story was originally published September 21, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bradenton SWAT team coaxes murder suspect to surrender ."