Officers investigate report of fishermen spitting in Gulf

Friday, May 16

Blame the birds 

7:09 a.m., 100 block of Sands Point Road

Property Damage: A citizen called to report two broken windows in one of the condominium’s units. The responding officer observed the large, broken windows and a group of large crows in the area. The complainant blamed the damage on the possibility of bird strikes from the crows, and a downstairs neighbor confirmed he heard loud crashes at about midnight and 6 a.m. The officer could not find any condominium personnel in the area and witnessed no more bird strikes while on scene. The complainant was advised to contact the property owner to inform them of the damage. 

Snorkeler startles boaters 

2:11 p.m., 2600 block of Gulf Drive

Marine Rescue: While on marine patrol, an officer received an alert of a marine rescue in the area and rushed to the scene near Bradenton Beach. The officer met with Bradenton Beach rescue units, who said another vessel operator noticed an empty vessel and a man overboard, which prompted concern. The Longboat Key marine patrol officer found the boat and a man in the water who was snorkeling. The man said everything was fine, and he had the correct dive flag in the water to signal there was a swimmer in the water. The Longboat officer assumed the other vessel operator must not have seen the flag. 

Monday, May 19

Owl on the prowl 

9:09 a.m., 800 block of Longboat Club Road

Animal Problem: A resident called to report a small owl near the side of her house, though she did not believe the owl was in trouble or injured. One of the responding officers contacted Save Our Seabirds to speak with an employee and also sent over some pictures of the owl. The SOS employee said the owl did not appear to be sick or injured and advised the officers to leave the screech owl alone.

Tuesday, May 20

Suspicious cutlery salesman 

12:14 p.m., 500 block of Ketch Lane

Suspicious Person: Police responded to investigate this neighborhood after a resident called to report a suspicious man going door-to-door selling cutlery. The complainant called 911 to report the incident, but when the responding officer tried to call the complainant, the man did not pick up. The officer canvassed the area but could not locate anyone suspicious or any solicitors. 

Stray golf ball 

12:43 p.m., 5400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Property Damage: A citizen visited the Longboat Key Police Department to report that, several days earlier, he was driving along GMD when a golf ball struck his vehicle. He said the golf ball hit the front of his vehicle, so he immediately pulled over, but did not see any damage. Later, he realized some of the safety features of the vehicle stopped working, and the dealership said it would cost $4,000 to fix the features. The man said he tried speaking with staff at the golf course but was told it was not their issue, but the man wanted a police report for insurance purposes. 

Wednesday, May 21

Suspicious spitting 

11:22 p.m., 7200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Disturbance: Officers responded to a call referencing a suspicious group of men throwing objects and spitting in the water. Upon arrival, the officer found four fishermen who claimed they were not throwing or spitting anything. According to the officer’s report, no objects were floating in the nearby water. The fishermen told the officer that a boat approached them and started to yell at them, telling the fishermen they could not afford a boat. The group backed up the claim with a video they took of the altercation. The boat was nowhere to be found, though, and the claim of throwing and spitting appeared to be false.