He broke into a Bradenton home, deputies say. The victim fired back with a fatal shot
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 26-year-old man who may have been involved in an armed robbery attempt Friday morning.
Deputies responded to the 4500 block of 27th Street West around 11:09 a.m. after receiving reports of an armed robbery. A victim told officers that a man broke into his home and woke him up from his sleep when he put a pistol next to his head.
That’s when the suspect fired a shot near the victim’s head and began striking him with the firearm, according to the sheriff’s office. The victim was able to fight the intruder off, forcing the suspect to drop the pistol. According to a release, the victim grabbed the gun and fired one round at suspect.
The victim ran next door to tell a neighbor what happened, and when deputies arrived at the scene, a gun was in the home, but the suspect had escaped. Deputies searched the area and using a drone, the discovered Demetrius Downer, 26, near a condo building just east of the victim’s home. He appears to have died from a gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office.
Downer was previously sentenced to three years in prison in relation to a Sarasota County robbery case in 2016.
The victim’s name has been withheld by the sheriff’s office while the investigation continues.
