Barred bar patron finds relief in the street

Monday, June 2

Lanai loiterer

10:24 p.m., 1700 block of Morrill Street

Suspicious incident: Hearing the door slam shut on his rear lanai, a homeowner reported an unknown adult male had entered the screened area “and just stood there,” according to the incident report. Standing near a washer and dryer, the man told the complainant he needed a towel to clean his hands because they were wet.

The complainant ordered the subject off his property and he left without incident. He wanted the encounter to be documented and a trespassing warning issued if the man was found. Officers were unable to locate the subject.

Public restroom

11:40 p.m., 1500 block of Main Street

Lewd and lascivious act: While officers were on were patrol in downtown they were flagged down by staff outside of two establishments who reported a man pulled a knife on one of the security personnel then exposed himself to everyone around while relieving himself in the street. 

After detaining the subject, a security guard explained the man was kicked out of a bar because he was highly intoxicated and began antagonizing other patrons inside. Moving outside, he began arguing with the security guard and made a move toward him, making a movement toward a pocket knife at his right side and then immediately pulling out a switchblade with his left hand. The subject, however, did not attack the guard.

Upon backing away and leaving, the guard said he began to make a video recording for identification when the man stopped, dropped his pants and began to urinate on the crosswalk, the entire episode clearly visible in the video. 

While speaking with the officers, the subject, not surprisingly, smelled heavily of alcohol and his speech was slurred. Being trespassed from the bar being the least of his problems, he was also placed under arrest for indecent exposure. He asked why he was being arrested he was informed of the video evidence of him using the street as a urinal. To that he responded, “Well they would not let me inside to use the restroom, so was I supposed to just (colorful metaphor for urinating) myself?”

He was placed in custody and transported to Sarasota County Jail.