The Bradenton Herald
BRADENTON, Fla. — A Bradenton firefighter is dead after standoff Sunday evening between him and Bradenton Police Department officers.
Police arrived at about 9:15 p.m. Sunday for a domestic situation involving a city firefighter that ended with a SWAT team response and gunfire on the 3300 block of Oxford Drive West in West Bradenton.
“He came out to his front yard with firearms, threatened to kill himself and threatened to kill his sister,” said Bradenton Police Chief Michael Radzilowski.
Police arrived with negotiators and after talking, the man came out of the house with two guns, pointed at officers, Radzilowski said. One officer, whose name is not being released, fired one shot and killed the man, he said.
“It’s a tragic case,” the chief said.
The firefighter’s name is not being released as the police department is still making notifications to his family, Radzilowski said.
The man was influenced by alcohol and it’s uncertain if the incident was a suicide by cop or if the man had an illness resulting from his service in the military, police said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is completing a routine investigation because of the officer-involved shooting, the chief said. The officer who killed the man was also put on administrative leave, also a common practice at police departments after a fatal shooting.
The neighborhood is near Prine Elementary School and Southern Parkway and is known as Casa del Sol.
According to resident Kelci Mynhier, 26, about 9:15 p.m., she heard some loud arguing coming from a neighbor’s house. Shortly after, she said, another neighbor saw someone waving a gun at the same house and called the police. The police arrived and decided to evacuate the part of Mynhier’s street near where the house with the gun was.
“We were evacuated around 9:30 p.m. and we heard the gunshot shortly before 10 p.m.,” Mynhier said.
She said the ambulance moved toward the house where the gunshot was heard and left around 10:30 p.m. but she did not know if anyone had been put inside other than the attendants.
“I feel really heartbroken for the family,” Mynhier said. “I think the police responded very quickly. I feel very safe, but it is sad.”
Residents were allowed to return to their houses shortly after 11 p.m.
Copyright 2014 The Bradenton Herald