Manatee deputy shoots, kills man who threatened him with knife during domestic disturbance

MANATEE -- A man armed with a knife who approached a Manatee County sheriff's deputy during a domestic dispute Sunday was killed when the officer shot him.

The shooting that left Marc Stoddart, 50, dead came at the end of a Valentine's Day confrontation that began with a call to 911. According to Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube, several deputies arrived at Stoddart's home in the 4800 block of Bookelia Circle at about 4:50 p.m. after his wife called to report that Stoddart had been drinking, was armed with a knife and was threatening to harm her and himself.

According to a news release issued by Steube on Sunday evening, Stoddart was outside when deputies arrived. He was armed with a knife and had cut his wrists.

Stoddart's wife had managed to escape the couple's home. Deputies confronted the suspect and told him repeatedly to drop the knife.

He refused, then approached a deputy in what the release said was "a threatening manner."

"The deputy was forced to fatally shoot the suspect," the release stated.

The shooting took place in what neighbors say is a relatively quiet neighborhood in the Sabal Harbour subdivision. Located off 45th Street East between the Braden River and State Road 70, the neighborhood is a collection of several hundred newer homes.

John Nesbitt, one of Stoddart's neighbors and a member of the Sabal Harbour Homeowners Association, said he heard three or four shots fired. At first, he didn't think he was hearing gunfire.

"I thought they were fireworks."

About six homes down the block from Stoddart's home, Brian Ford also heard the shots. He was on his lanai when he heard the con

frontation.

"We heard some shots," he said. "It sounded like pop, pop, pop."

He said more deputies arrived quickly. They cordoned off the entire block, then began going house to house to interview neighbors to learn what they had heard and seen.

The shooting remains under investigation. The deputy who fired the fatal shots will be placed on routine administrative leave while the incident is investigated.

The sheriff's office reported no other injuries related to the incident.

Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027 or on Twitter @MattAtBradenton.

This story was originally published February 14, 2016 at 11:42 PM with the headline "Manatee deputy shoots, kills man who threatened him with knife during domestic disturbance ."