Manatee deputy shoots burglary suspect in Bradenton mobile home park, sheriff says
.jpg "Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells speaks during a Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, press conference after a sheriff’s office deputy shot a burglary suspect who allegedly fired bullets at the deputy and a K-9.")
A Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputy is on paid administrative leave after firing his weapon and striking a teenage suspect in the leg during a burglary investigation early Friday morning.
The shooting happened just before 2 a.m. in the 1000 block of 47th Ave. Dr. E., Bradenton, and was in response to shots fired by the teen, according to a release.
At around 1:30 a.m., deputies say they responded to a report that someone was seen checking door handles on vehicles in the Grove Mobile Home Park. When deputies arrived, they said they saw a 17-year-old suspect enter a vehicle.
At approximately 1:50 a.m., the sheriff’s office says deputies with a K-9 unit gave the teenager verbal commands. Instead of stopping, the 17-year-old fled on foot and then fired multiple rounds at the deputies, according to the sheriff’s office.
The teen fired three rounds at the deputy and another two at the K-9, Sheriff Rick Wells said during a Friday morning press conference. He described it as a close-range shooting, somewhere in the range of 20 to 23 yards.
“I really want to thank God for protecting my deputy and protecting his K-9,” Wells said. “We’re very lucky to be able to stand here today and for me to be able to tell you that my deputy was able to go home to his family along with his four-legged partner who we love just as much.”
Detectives say one deputy then fired “multiple rounds” back at the suspect, hitting him in the left leg. The deputy’s name has not been released to the public.
Burglary suspect shot by deputy, sheriff says
Deputies secured the teen and began to render aid until paramedics arrived, according to a release.
“That’s what we do, even though he just tried to kill my deputy,” Wells said.
A Taurus .38 revolver used by the teen to fire at the deputies was recovered at the scene, Wells said.
With the suspect being a juvenile and therefore unable to legally purchase or possess a firearm in the state of Florida, Wells said he “will be shocked” if the gun doesn’t turn out to be stolen from a previous burglary.
Wells said there has been an alarming trend over the last several years of minors using stolen guns to commit crimes and called upon the community to address it.
“What we do know is that he did not obtain that gun legally. So I’m gonna preach the way my brother sheriffs have been preaching throughout the community: We have got to do a better job securing our firearms and our vehicles. We have to do a better job locking our vehicles because this is a crime of opportunity,” Wells said.
“If we work together, we can eliminate the opportunity that we keep giving these criminals because they’re going to keep using these guns and they’re going to keep victimizing innocent civilians and law enforcement,” he added.
No deputies or other individuals were injured during the shooting, according to a release.
The sheriff’s office says the suspect was taken to a local hospital for further treatment, where he remains in custody at this time.
Suspect faces attempted murder charge
The teenager, whose name has not been released by the sheriff’s office, will be charged with two counts of attempted murder while engaged in a felony, use of a deadly weapon on a police animal and armed burglary, the sheriff’s office said.
The juvenile, who Wells said will be turning 18 in about a week, has been arrested twice for breaking into vehicles and once for a domestic violence-related offense.
The deputy who fired shots is now on routine paid administrative leave while an investigation into the shooting and an internal investigation is conducted.
This story was originally published December 29, 2023 at 10:47 AM.
