Bradenton man killed in SWAT standoff after firing at deputies, sheriff says
Manatee County SWAT deputies shot and killed a Bradenton man suspected of robbery after he fired at them during a standoff Wednesday night, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said they went to 61-year-old Michael Richard Shanteau's home in the 800 block of 63rd Avenue West around 6 p.m. to execute a search and arrest warrant after days of surveillance. Investigators say they’d tied him to an Aug. 25 robbery of Gold Flower cannabis dispensary on 14th Street West, where deputies say the man stole about $1,500 in cash.
Sheriff Rick Wells said at a news conference Thursday morning that detectives identified Shanteau through surveillance footage and spent at least four days watching his home. Neighbors told investigators he had left a note on his door saying he went to Fort Myers, which deputies said they initially thought was true after seeing no movement in the home during the stakeout.
When deputies entered with a warrant Wednesday evening, Wells said they encountered a locked bedroom door while clearing the house. After giving commands for anyone inside to come out peacefully, Wells said Shanteau fired 12 rounds from a semiautomatic handgun through the door into the living area where deputies were standing.
“By the grace of God, none of my deputies were shot,” Wells said.
Deputies retreated from the house and called in the SWAT team, according to Wells.
For more than three hours, Wells said negotiators tried to get Shanteau to surrender while residents in nearby homes were evacuated. Wells said Shanteau fired again when SWAT tried to breach his bedroom window with an armored vehicle known as a Bearcat, this time with a 12-gauge shotgun. Several rounds struck the Bearcat, and investigators are still working to determine where other rounds landed.
SWAT deputies returned fire, killing Shanteau, according to the sheriff’s office.
“This was a violent suspect who made it very obvious he was not going to go down quietly,” Wells said at a Thursday morning press conference. “If he would have come out peacefully, he would have had his day in court.”
No deputies were injured, according to the sheriff’s office, which said the investigation is ongoing.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 12:41 PM.
