Cops Corner: Sarasota 5.30.19

May 23

SIGN AWAY
9:43 a.m. — 1400 block of First Street
Dispute: An employee at a coffee shop reported a man for standing outside the business asking passers-by to sign political petitions. The employee said she wanted the man to leave customers alone. An officer made contact with the man, who agreed to leave the area.

LOST TRANSMISSION
11:02 a.m. — 1300 block of Main Street
Lost/found property: A security guard for a residential building found a transmitter on top of an electrical box and was not sure what it was for. The man said the transmitter had been there for three days. Officers examined the transmitter and contacted a detective on the police department’s bomb unit. The detective took the transmitter for further evaluation.

AIRING GRIEVANCES
12:23 p.m. — 300 block of South Pineapple Avenue
Noise complaint: An officer responded to a noise complaint at a commercial building. Upon arrival, the officer heard a dull humming noise coming from the roof, but the noise did not seem excessive. The building’s property manager said the noise was coming from the air conditioning tower, which had a loose belt. The property manager said the issue would be fixed the next day.

May 24

GRAB & GO
2:10 a.m. — 1400 block of Main Street
Dispute: A man said a security guard at a bar beat him up. The man said he did nothing wrong and was thrown out of the establishment for no reason. While talking to an officer, the man acknowledged the guard had asked him to leave, and the man told security he would not leave unless the police made him. At that point, the man said, the guard picked him up and slammed him on the ground outside the door.

The officer spoke to the security guard, who said he asked the man to leave the bar because he touched a woman’s arm multiple times without her permission. The guard said the man refused to leave when asked, at which point the guard attempted to escort the man out of the bar. The guard said the man attempted to jump up and swing at him, so he pushed the man, causing him to fall to the ground. The guard said he landed on top of the man, which caused the man’s head to hit the ground.

The woman said the man repeatedly grabbed her arm despite her asking him politely not to do so. The woman said the security guard did not hit the man, and the man was trying to instigate a fight with the guard. The manager of the bar said he wanted the man barred from the property. The man said he understood and that he would not come back.