Venice man shot, killed after pointing gun at deputies serving search warrant
Search warrant leads to gunfire in Sarasota
Several deputies in Sarasota County were involved in a shooting on Wednesday while trying to serve a search warrant. FOX 13?s Kimberly Kuizon reports.
VENICE, Fla. - A man was shot and killed after pointing his gun at Sarasota County deputies Wednesday morning in the 200 block of Golf Course Drive in Venice.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office identified the man killed in the deputy-involved shooting as Anthony Bottoni, 32.
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What we know:
SCSO said its fugitive apprehension unit was serving a search warrant just before 11 a.m. When they arrived at the home, deputies said the man was inside, and he was given verbal commands to exit.
However, the suspect refused and deputies forced their way inside the home, authorities said. That's when the suspect grabbed a gun.
Deputies then moved to the backyard of the home and requested SWAT and the hostage negotiation team, according to officials. Minutes later, though, the man exited the home with the gun.
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Deputies said he was given verbal commands to drop the gun, which were ignored. Deputies then used a taser to try and stop him.
But, SCSO officials said the man pointed his gun at deputies, who then, "had no option but to respond with deadly force."
Dig deeper:
Deputies began life-saving measures until Sarasota County Fire Department arrived at the scene, according to investigators. Bottoni, though, was pronounced dead at the scene.
No one else was injured during the shooting and the investigation remains active.
What they're saying:
"I was reading a book, and I heard a couple of pops like two or three," Kristina Nonnemacher, a resident in the area, told FOX 13.
For neighbors, the sound didn’t catch their attention at first.
"Then I heard three more and I knew exactly what it was," said Nonnemacher.
Kristina Nonnemacher peered outside her window and said she saw SWAT team members running down the street.
"They had guns in their hands, and, of course, I was curious, and the police presence was just getting bigger and bigger, and then they told me to go in the house," she said.
Neighbors said they were surprised by what happened at the home.
"It was terrifying, it’s Venice. You don’t expect people to be shooting guns," said Nonnemacher.
Nonnemacher said despite what happened in her neighborhood, it’s still home.
"I still feel safe, and I feel even more safe knowing they got them," she said.
What we don't know:
SCSO has not given any details about why deputies were issuing a search warrant.
The Source: Information was gathered by FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon through the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.