Cops Corner: Sarasota 7.26.18

July 20

PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY
1:31 a.m. — 1400 block of North Tamiami Trail
Suspicion: An officer noticed a car parked in a public park’s parking lot after hours. The officer made contact with two women inside the vehicle. The officer told them the park was closed, and they said they were unaware and had not seen signs stating that information. The officer reported detecting the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. When the officer asked about the odor, one of the women said her brother had been driving the car earlier and it was from him. Officers searched the vehicle and did not locate any illegal substances.

CHOPPY WATERS
9:20 a.m. — 100 block of Taft Drive
Suspicion: The operator of a kayak company said the owner of another kayak company has been harassing him for two years. The operator accused the other owner of being jealous of his company’s success. The operator said the other owner harassed him every day he had been at the kayak launch that week, taking photos of him as he set up his equipment and whistling at him to get his attention while he was guiding a tour. The operator said members of his tour group were distracted by the other owner’s actions. An officer told the operator the other owner was within her rights to take photos of him, because they were in a public park with no reasonable expectation of privacy. The officer told the operator to contact the police if she continued to follow him around and intentionally harass him.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY
5 p.m. — 3800 block of South Tamiami Trail
Suspicion: An employee at a pharmacy said a man came in and attempted to get medicine with a fake prescription. The employee said she called the doctor who supposedly issued the prescription and he denied giving it out. After the employee called the doctor, she saw the subject leaving the area in a hurry.

July 21

FOOD FIGHT
8:41 p.m. — 3500 block of North Tamiami Trail
Dispute: A woman reported an incident that occurred after she and her sister went grocery shopping. When they got in their car to leave, another car pulled in behind them and would not let them exit. The woman said their car was finally able to squeeze through and leave the parking lot, but the other car began following them, and the occupants began throwing items at their vehicle. The other car followed them all the way home. The woman was able to get a tag for the other car, but it matched a different vehicle than the one involved in the incident. Surveillance cameras did not capture the car involved.