- August 27, 2024
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10:52 p.m., North Polk Avenue at John Ringling Boulevard
Road rage: A battery call turned out to be a case of road rage between drivers of two vehicles stuck in holiday traffic. An officer arrived on the scene to find one man, who was shirtless and disheveled, advising that he and his family were stuck in eastbound traffic at John Ringling Boulevard as they approached North Polk Avenue. That’s when he noticed a Chevrolet Malibu facing northbound, attempting to merge into eastbound traffic and exited his vehicle to impede its progress “to the chagrin of the Malibu occupants,” the incident reports reads.
At that point the Malibu began inching forward, bumping into him.
The officer then made contact with the driver of the Malibu who said he was at the stop sign waiting for several vehicles to pass. He finally began to inch forward to merge into the lane when he noticed a Nissan Altima and the irate half-dressed driver. He said the Altima driver walked up to his vehicle and nearly sat on the hood, “obstructing his free, convenient, and normal use of the public street.”
The Malibu driver said he sounded his horn and yelled at the Altima driver to cease obstructing the roadway, all of which was recorded on video. The Malibu driver said he did not want to file a report and only wanted to leave the area and go home. All parties separated and no further action was taken.
11:06 p.m., 1000 block of Boulevard of the Arts
Disturbance: Following an evening of celebrating our nation’s independence, a couple was arguing loudly enough to bring law enforcement to their hotel room. An officer spoke to the man who said he got into a verbal dispute with his wife of three years over her being intoxicated. He said they live in Pennsylvania and were here in vacation.
The officer then spoke with the woman who appeared to be intoxicated and was upset with her husband for an unknown reason. She said she was just going to go to sleep and her husband advised he would stay in a different room for the evening.
4:15 p.m., 1500 block of Main Street
Disturbance: Caught in a thunderstorm, two groups of people had sought shelter beneath an awning when two women from separate groups began to argue for an unspecified reason. The parties had already separated prior to law enforcement arrival.
While on the scene, officers observed in one woman’s possession a capped bottle of vodka that was two-thirds full in a partially opened bag. She was given an option — either allow an officer to dispose of the vodka or face criminal charges. The woman relented and officers poured out the vodka and disposed of the bottle.
12:15 p.m., 400 block of Benjamin Franklin Boulevard
Traffic dispute: Drivers of two pickup trucks contesting a coveted holiday weekend parking space at Lido Beach Pavilion resulted in a fender bender. Officers interviewed the driver of a GMC truck who said he had been waiting for more than 40 minutes for a parking space to open up and, once one did, he pulled forward only to be blocked by a Chevrolet truck. The two vehicles collided as nether driver acquiesced.
The driver of the Chevrolet said he was attempting to back into the spot when the two bumped bumpers. The Chevy driver then stepped out of the vehicle while a passenger took control of the wheel and stood in front of the GMC to block its path. He told officers the GMC then began to push against him.
Video footage recorded by one of the vehicle occupants showed the Chevy driver first made physical contact with the GMC, then remained in front of the truck. As a result, it was determined that no charges against the GMC driver were warranted.
Because damages were less than $500, officers completed a driver’s information exchange form and no further action was taken. Which vehicle eventually occupied the parking spot was not specified.
8:58 a.m., 700 block of North Tamiami Trail
Dispute: Officers responded to a call to the parking lot of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall where they found a couple continuing an argument that began at their Sixth Street home.
The complainant told officers that she observed her boyfriend cheating on her via social media, which led to the argument during which the man drove both of them to the parking lot in her vehicle to continue the discussion.
While there, the woman became upset and wanted to drive home. The man, though, had taken her keys and hid them, he told officers, because she was intoxicated. Eventually, friends came and picked up both parties as they agreed to stay separated. The man was advised to not take his girlfriend’s vehicle without her permission.
