Cops Corner

Business wanted attack bird removed from premises

Staff attempted to block off a safe entry to deal with a bird that continued attacking customers. This and other Longboat Key Police reports in this week's Cops Corner.


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Friday, June 6

Flag flying funny 

7:29 a.m., 2200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen Assist: A concerned citizen called dispatch to report an American flag hanging upside down. The caller was concerned it could be a signal of distress. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the flag torn from the grommets. No one answered when the officers knocked on the door and rang the doorbell, so the officers removed the flag, folded it properly and left it on a bench on the residence’s front porch. 


Unwanted guard bird

5:11 p.m., 200 block of Sands Point Road

Animal Problem: A citizen requested animal services for his claim that a bird was attacking customers. A Longboat Key police officer reached out to the man via phone and learned there was a bird standing outside the front lobby of a business and attacking customers so much that staff had to block off part of the front lobby to prevent injuries. The man requested that animal services remove the bird, so the Longboat officer contacted Sarasota County Animal Services. The department said it could not relocate birds or nests and that the actions taken by the bird seemed to be natural. 


Saturday, June 7

After dinner dispute 

10:03 p.m., 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Disturbance: An officer on patrol was approached by a motorist about a verbal dispute that happened outside of a nearby establishment. The motorist said as they were leaving the restaurant, a man was causing a disturbance and started a verbal argument with them. Officers located the man in question as he was walking to his Longboat Key home. All parties agreed it was just a verbal altercation and it never got physical, so no further police action was necessary. 

Wednesday, June 11

Smartphone too sensitive 

11:15 a.m., 500 block of Bay Isles Road

Alarm: Dispatch sent officers to investigate a rescue assist that was sent due to an automatic fall notification sent by Apple. At the scene, officers found a woman who said she threw her phone in her purse, which triggered the alarm. She assured officers she was not in danger and did not need emergency services. 


Thursday, June 12

Caught cheating

1:06 a.m., 6000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious Vehicle: A concerned citizen reported a suspicious vehicle parked in a local business lot after hours, but did not want to speak to police in person. When an officer arrived at the scene, the officer spoke with the driver, who said she was arguing with her boyfriend on the phone and decided to pull over for 10-15 minutes. While speaking to her, the officer noticed several miscellaneous items scattered around the vehicle and asked the woman about them. She told the officer she caught her boyfriend cheating on her earlier and took her belongings to move out of his place. She said she was on her way to stay somewhere else for the night, but the vehicle she was driving belonged to her boyfriend. Officers checked around the business to make sure there were no signs of forced entry before they let the woman go on her way to deal with her personal issues. 


On standby for delivery 

10:48 p.m., 2600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious Vehicle: A resident called to report a suspicious vehicle parked on the corner of a residential lot. The responding officer approached the vehicle and attempted to speak to the driver, who struggled with English. Despite a language barrier, the officer discovered the man was a DoorDash driver and was parked waiting for another delivery. The man and his vehicle were negative for wants and warrants, and the man was cooperative throughout the investigation, so the officer allowed him to go about his business. 

 

author

Carter Weinhofer

Carter Weinhofer is the Longboat Observer news reporter, covering local government, environmental issues, businesses and more on Longboat Key. Carter came to the Observer after graduating from Eckerd College in 2023 and is originally from Pennsylvania.

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