Accomplice of victim in Bradenton slaying charged with murder

MANATEE -- The accomplice of the victim in Wednesday's fatal shooting in Bradenton's Pride Park neighborhood is being charged with murder, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies responded to the 1000 block of 61st Avenue Drive East in Bradenton to reports of a shooting. Kenye Cooper Sr., 26, was found dead in an SUV three houses down the street from where the shooting occurred.

Cooper's accomplice, Fredrick Dinel Smith, 24, fled the scene and remained at large Wednesday night.

Smith was caught in Sarasota on Thursday morning after detectives obtained a warrant for his arrest. He is charged with second-degree murder.

He is currently being held without bond at the Sarasota County jail. Smith will make a first appearance before a judge in Sarasota before being transferred to the Manatee County jail to face his charge.

Since Smith was engaged in a felony when Cooper was shot dead, he can be charged with his murder. This is what the sheriff's office is doing, according to Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesman Randy Warren.

Two men inside the house told deputies they were inside playing video games when two other men came by and started a fight. During the fight, which was apparently over drugs, multiple shots were fired.

The two home occupants shot at Cooper and Smith as they were attempting to flee. Cooper got into the Expedition, which was shot at numerous times and got stuck in a ditch, said Warren. The victim then walked down the street, crawled into the backseat of a Mazda SUV in the process of turning around in a cul-de-sac, fell over in the vehicle and died. The two Mazda occupants were not involved in the shooting, Warren said.

Smith's criminal history includes arrests for charges of attempted robbery, violation of probation, knowingly driving with a suspended license, possession of a controlled substance, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver and possession of marijuana.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff's Office 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Accomplice of victim in Bradenton slaying charged with murder ."