Officers stop woman loading gun in purse full of ammo at Bradenton hospital, police say
A Sarasota woman is in jail after she brought a gun and dozens of rounds of ammunition into the emergency room of a Bradenton hospital early Wednesday and began to load the weapon in her purse, Bradenton Police Department said.
Jamekeyra Ulisa Levertt-Chapman, 37, faces felony charges of introducing a firearm into a hospital and possession of a concealed weapon without a concealed weapon permit.
At 2:16 a.m. Wednesday morning, an HCA Florida Blake Hospital staff member called 911 and reported that a woman in the ER could be seen on surveillance cameras loading a firearm in her purse, police say.
As officers made their way to the hospital, a security guard approached Levertt-Chapman and spoke with her before taking the handgun from her purse, police said. Officers then entered the ER, surrounded Levertt-Chapman and arrested her. Police say she was in custody by 2:24 a.m.
Police identified Levertt-Chapman’s weapon as a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380, a semi-automatic handgun with incorporated laser sight.
From her purse, law enforcement seized a 50-round, drum-style magazine, of which 36 rounds were loaded; two additional magazines with a total of 13 loaded rounds; and 14 loose rounds.
Police say several people witnessed Levertt-Chapman “loading what appeared to be bullets into a magazine.”
Levertt-Chapman remains in custody at the Manatee County Jail on Wednesday and is held in lieu of $3,000 bond, inmate records show.
Police continue to investigate the incident. Anyone with information on the case can contact Bradenton Police Department Detective Jeff Beckley at 941-932-9356 or email BPDTips@BradentonPD.com. Anonymous tips can be reported to Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 1-866-634-8477 or manateecrimestoppers.com.
