Cops Corner

Man reports being squirted with mustard on St. Armands Circle

The assault by the tart condiment followed a verbal exchange between a man and an alleged carload of teens. This and other Sarasota Police Department reports in this week's Cops Corner.


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  • | 5:00 a.m. June 26, 2024
  • Sarasota
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Tuesday, June 14

Good intentions

9 a.m., 4200 block of Bay Shore Road

Property damage: An officer working the front desk at SPD headquarters was approached by a homeowner who identified the owner of a pool maintenance company and claimed he vandalized his koi pond and pumps. He stated the subject entered his property, placed blue dye in the pond and “did something to the pumps” as well.

The date of the incident was not included in the report, but in the intervening time the complainant made repairs to the pond and equipment.

When contacted, the subject stated he worked on the pond for the prior owners of the home and, while working on a neighbor’s pool, noticed the fountain was not running. He advised he was attempting to repair the pump in good faith. The homeowner did not wish to press charges and the subject was advised to no longer enter the property.


Wednesday, June 15

Resisting hotel eviction

10:57 a.m., 100 block of North Tamiami Trail

Civil disturbance: Having caused non-specified “multiple problems” with staff, a hotel guest had been ordered to leave the property but was refusing. A responding officer was further advised that the guest had a pit bull in her room and needed to be escorted off the property.

The officer made contact with the guest outside of her room on the 18th floor and was told she was no longer permitted to stay at the hotel. She challenged the decision, but stated she needed time to pack her belongings and she needed to eat. She was offered 15 minutes to complete the task, to which she reluctantly agreed.

When the 15 minutes were up, the officer told her she needed to exit the room, to which she yelled, "I'm (inappropriate expletive) coming." A moment later another request for her to exit the room was made, garnering a similar response. The threat of incarceration motivated her to the door with suitcase in hand and the dog on a leash. 

After being told to proceed toward the service elevator, she refused and went the opposite way. The officer then assisted in escorting her to the service elevator and down to the loading dock. She was advised that if she returned to the property she would be arrested on a charge of trespassing. The officer remained on the scene until her ride arrived and she left without further incident.


Thursday, June 16

Main Street scuffle

1:33 a.m., 1500 block of Main Street

Fight: An employee of a Main Street eatery flagged down an officer regarding a scuffle that he described as six young adults disturbing a homeless person outside the business. The man advised he attempted to intervene, telling them to leave the homeless person alone and to leave the area.

The situation escalated into a verbal argument, he said, until one of the individuals squared off with him and elbowed him in the face. The complainant said he responded by punching his assailant in the face. 

Ten minutes had passed before the complainant made contact with the officer, and all parties, including the homeless person, had left the scene. The complainant gave a vague description of one of the group members and provided possible names of four of them, having examined their bar tabs. He was unable to match a name with the person who elbowed him. 

Based on the restaurant employee’s description, it was determined that he was a mutual combatant in the situation and no further action was taken.

Friday, June 17

Drive-by squirting

10:20 p.m., St. Armands Circle

Disturbance: Following an unpleasant encounter with multiple male juveniles, a complainant requested that an officer meet him at his residence on St. Armands Key. The man said he was leaving a friend’s place of work on St. Armands Circle when a vehicle containing the subjects approached and non-specified comments were made between the two parties. 

The complainant said he believed the encounter to be over when the car load of teens came back around and, after hurtling further derogatory comments toward him, they proceeded to squirt yellow mustard on him and his vehicle before fleeing the scene. The victim said he was unable to describe the assailants because they were wearing face masks, but he was able to describe the vehicle and license plate number.

He said he did not want to press charges, but wanted them to be “spoken to” if apprehended. The officer was unable to locate the vehicle, but did find that it is registered to an address in the county outside of the city.

 

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