Longboat Key Police officer charged with armed trespassing

A Longboat Key Police officer, Rafael Martinez Jr., 27, of Bradenton, has been charged with armed trespassing of a structure or conveyance in conjunction with events that occurred on the night of Aug. 5.

On Aug. 5, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrest warrant affidavit, Martinez called 911 and stated that he believed his wife had been kidnapped. Martinez further advised dispatch that he had tracked his wife’s vehicle to a residence and that he believed she was inside and needed a Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputy, according to the affidavit.

Martinez stated that he tried to ring the doorbell of the residence but got no response, so he entered the residence through the unlocked garage door, according to the affidavit. He further stated he pulled out his “taser” to use the flashlight to look around dark areas of the house.

The wife stated, in an interview with a responding officer after the incident, that she was at the residence with the homeowner. She and the owner of the residence heard someone enter the house, and she believed the man to be her husband, according to the affidavit.

A yelling exchange followed Martinez's entry, with Martinez identifying himself as “police,” after which Martinez stated he “began to panic and went outside and called 911,” according to the police report.

Not long afterward, the owner of the residence called 911 and advised that a man had entered the residence without permission and that the man was a police officer, the affidavit continues.

At the time, Martinez was on duty in full uniform and armed with “pistol, ammunition and a taser,” according to the affidavit.

“At no time during the interview” with responding law enforcement officers after the incident, “did (Martinez) provide any lawful reason or exigent circumstances that would allow him to enter the residence.”

According to the affidavit, Martinez stated that, prior to the incident at the residence, he was on patrol for Longboat Key Police Department when his 4-year-old son called him and said he and his 2-year-old sister were home alone and unaware as to where their mother was. Martinez further stated that he pulled over somewhere in Manatee County and called his wife multiple times, to which she did not reply. 

The affidavit states the Longboat Key Police Department provided dash camera footage from Martinez’s vehicle, which showed Martinez in full uniform and armed outside the residence, stopping his wife. 

Following his arrest, Martinez was released after posting a $1,500 bail bond. Martinez is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment Oct. 6. If convicted, armed trespassing of a structure or conveyance is classified as a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Longboat Key Chief of Police George Turner said Martinez's employment with the department was terminated on Monday.