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Cops Corner

Phantom loogie claim appears all wet

Police find no evidence of spittle in an ongoing dispute between two teen girls. This and other Sarasota Police Department reports in this week's Cops Corner.


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  • | 5:00 a.m. October 25, 2023
  • Sarasota
  • Cops Corner
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Thursday, Oct. 12

Situation de-escalation

1:07 p.m., 2700 block of Hidden Lake Boulevard

Family dispute: A woman called law enforcement for fear that a verbal argument would escalate. An officer made contact with both parties who said they were in a heated debate, the complainant becoming increasingly upset when a man went to sit outside with their daughter in an attempt to remove himself from the tense situation.

As officers were leaving, the complainant's sister arrived, claiming the woman called their mother and stated the man punched her in the mouth, resulting in a chipped tooth. However, the would-be victim said her mother must have misunderstood, and the officer confirmed there was no chipped tooth nor any other sign of physical contact. The woman continued to deny there was no physical altercation and that she was fine. It was determined no crime had been committed.


Swing and a miss

8:53 p.m., 3200 block of Fruitville Road

Disturbance: An argument between two female employees in a senior living facility nearly escalated into a physical altercation. The complainant said a fellow worker closed the distance between the two and swung her arm in a punching motion, hitting nothing but air. Out of fear, she then locked herself in an office as the would-be assailant allegedly followed and pounded on the door.

The subject advised it was the complainant who instigated the dispute, by making comments such as, “You'll never be as blonde as me.” The subject confirmed she did knock on the locked door “a few times” and added she’s been dealing with several health concerns that have caused her to have occasional emotional outbursts. 

The officer advised the subject to de-escalate such future situations, to which she agreed and said she was “going to work on this to avoid multiple law enforcement contacts.”


Saturday, Oct. 14

Unwanted attention

11 p.m., 200 block of South Links Avenue

Dispute: An officer met a woman who said a male co-worker had followed her home from work and was driving aggressively. The complainant advised that she confronted the subject about his behavior and does not expect it to continue, but she did want to provide a written statement to document the incident.


Monday Oct. 16

You don’t spit into the wind

7:17 p.m., 1800 block of 23rd Street

Disturbance: Officers were flagged down for a report of a dispute between adolescents. An investigation revealed there were multiple adults and children in the area of the dispute, in which the primary complainant said her 15-year-old daughter was spit on by an 18-year-old female. She said she did not witness the incident, and when officers attempted to get a statement from the alleged victim she became uncooperative and kept walking away.

Officers did not observe “any markings on her clothing consistent with being spit on,” per the police report.

The spitting incident is alleged to have occurred while some younger juveniles were playing football and arguing. The complainant said it was very windy and the spit “went everywhere.” 

When officers attempted to make contact with the alleged perpetrator at her home, her mother said the two girls do not like each other and have had several issues at school. The subject denied spitting on her rival, but was otherwise uncooperative. 

Because the alleged victim was uncooperative, officers were unable to determine if the spitting incident actually occurred. Both parents agreed to keep their daughters inside their homes for the night.


Tuesday, Oct. 17

Spat in Payne Park

10:23 a.m., 2100 block of Adams Lane

Disturbance: A city employee accompanied by an officer was verbally harassed and spat at by a transient while advising him to vacate Payne Park. The complainant advised that in the course of his duties he was harassed by an unidentified subject as he was informing him of a city ordinance related to lodging out of doors. He also advised the subject to clean up the area he was currently occupying of all debris and trash. 

The subject then began shouting at the complainant and spat at him. The spit did not make contact with the complainant. The subject was last seen near the tennis courts on the west side of Payne Park, leaving on foot.

 

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