Manatee candidate arrested again after violating release terms, deputies say
A Manatee County Commission candidate was arrested again on Tuesday after investigators say he violated the conditions of his release less than two weeks after his domestic battery arrest.
Tony Barrett, 59, now faces two additional charges of violating pretrial release conditions, according to jail records. The sheriff’s office said deputies arrested Barrett after he returned to a Bradenton home, where he was prohibited from being, that he shares with the victim in the domestic battery case.
An attorney representing Barrett declined to comment when reached by the Bradenton Herald.
Barrett, a Republican candidate for the District 6 at-large commission seat, was arrested June 18 on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge after deputies said he attacked his ex-girlfriend during an argument at their Bradenton home in the 9000 block of 59th Avenue Circle East.
According to an arrest report, Barrett allegedly pulled the woman’s hair and repeatedly struck her head against the bedroom floor before she was able to call 911.
Manatee candidate Barrett arrested again
Following his June 18 arrest, Barrett previously said in a social media post that he intended to remain in the race despite the charge.
“That support is one of the many reasons I will continue to move forward. Public service has never been about taking the easy path. It’s about showing up, staying focused, and honoring the trust that others place in you,” the post read.
Barrett is one of four Republicans seeking the open District 6 at-large commission seat on the Manatee County Commission. The at-large seat is currently held by Commissioner Jason Bearden, who did not file for re-election. The winner of the Aug. 18 primary will face Democrat and former Manatee County Commissioner Reggie Bellamy in November.
Court records show Barrett was released from jail the same day under pretrial release conditions, including a no-contact order prohibiting him from contacting the woman. He later pleaded not guilty to the battery charge and is scheduled to be arraigned July 29.
Barrett is scheduled to appear before a judge Thursday afternoon for a previously scheduled hearing on a motion to modify his bond in the domestic battery case, according to court records.
