Bradenton police officer shoots suspect after he drives car at officer

BRADENTON -- A Bradenton police officer shot a suspect during a domestic disturbance call early Monday, as the suspect hit the officer with his car, according to Bradenton police.

At 3:02 a.m., Officer Christopher Bennett responded to reports of a domestic disturbance in the 2300 block of 13th Street West, according to police Capt. William Fowler. When he arrived, the woman involved told the officer that her boyfriend, Travis Hardy, 31, was trying to leave in his car.

Bennett approached Hardy's vehicle and told him to stop, but Hardy refused, according to a release. Hardy backed out of his parking spot and then suddenly drove forward, directly at Bennett, who fired several shots at the suspect's vehicle.

"Due to the imminent threat of harm to himself, Officer Bennett fired multiple shots into Mr. Hardy's vehicle while and after being struck by Mr. Hardy's vehicle," Bradenton Police Chief Michael Radzilowski said in a release.

Bennett twisted his knee at some point during the altercation, but it was a minor injury and the officer was already treated and released from Manatee Memorial Hospital.

Hardy was able to leave the scene and fled north to Palmetto, where he was briefly pursued by the Palmetto Police Department. The two police departments and the Manatee County Sheriff's Office worked together to track Hardy's vehicle to the 600 block of 27th Street East in Palmetto.

Hardy was arrested at that residence in Palmetto shortly after the shooting. Fowler said they aren't sure of the exact timing, or how Hardy is connected to the two residences.

Hardy sustained several gunshot wounds and was taken to Blake Medical Center for treatment, but his injuries were not life threatening.

Criminal charges are pending and were not specified by police.

Hardy has a lengthy criminal record, including two convictions for resisting an officer without violence in 2004 and 2008 and a charge of resisting an officer without violence in February 2014. He has also been convicted of cocaine trafficking, selling marijuana, drug possession and firearm possession by a convicted felon.

A grey sedan was parked in front of the Palmetto house, with at least four bullet holes visible in the windshield and rear and passenger side windows. There also appeared to be a hole in the door frame.

A woman who police identified as the victim in the domestic incident was taken from the scene in Palmetto to be interviewed by investigators at about 7:30 a.m.

Yellow police crime scene tape surrounded both scenes. Three blocks were shut down at the scene of the shooting in Bradenton at 9 a.m.

Fowler said Bennett has been put on paid administrative leave as part of the protocol in an officer involved shooting. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was in charge of the investigation.

Investigators on scene declined to comment and a public information officer said she couldn't give details on an active investigation.

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 6:44 PM with the headline "Bradenton police officer shoots suspect after he drives car at officer ."