Will bail bondsman be charged in St. Pete McDonald's shooting?

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - Police still have a lot of questions about Wednesday's shooting at a St. Pete McDonalds. A bail bondsman's takedown attempt sent a woman to the hospital with gunshot wounds -- a woman who had nothing to do with it.

Police identified that shooting victim as 29-year-old Vonceia Welch. They say she's in stable but critical condition at Bayfront Hospital from gunshot wounds to the hand and head.

So far, no charges have been filed against Kyle's Kwik Bail Bonding, but police say if these men did in fact overstep their authority, charges could be on the way.

Newly-released surveillance video from outside that McDonald's on 34st Street S shows how, in a matter of seconds, a drive-thru became a crime scene.

"It ended tragically," said Assistant Chief Jim Previtera. "Had it ended in a gun fight, we definitely had a restaurant full of innocent people who were at risk."

Video shows the driver of a white sedan hand money to the clerk. Then, one car pulls up beside it. Another blocks it from the front.

They're agents from Kyle's Kwik Bail Bonding. And, they're looking for Deveon Stokes in the back seat. Stokes skipped out on court and owed more than $20,000.

Eventually, the driver tries to take off. The video cuts out right before police say bail bondsman Darrell Ingram's gun fired one bullet, hitting Welch in the front passenger seat.

"It does appear he exited the SUV with his gun out and approached the right side of the vehicle with the gun raised in his hand," Previtera continued. "We believe the victim probably reacted to Mr. Ingram approaching her window and put her hand up and the bullet went through her hand and struck her in the head."

Welch was rushed to the hospital for surgery as investigators asked why the bail bondsmen chose, of all places, a busy drive-thru.

"We are concerned about the way this went down," Previtera stated. "There is no gray area. We are very concerned about the choice of locations."

Previtera said bail bondsmen do have some authority to use a reasonable and appropriate level of force in taking someone into custody. Whether they followed the law or broke the law is still being determined.

"The mere power to arrest somebody does not give you the implied authority to point a firearm at them during the course of an arrest," Previtera added.

The State Attorney's Office will determine what, if any, charges will be filed against Ingram.

This isn't the first time the business have been involved in a shooting during an attempted takedown. According to police, a different Kyle's Kwik bail bondsman shot at a suspect last year when the man tried to run him over with a car. That shooting was ruled justified.

It can be dangerous work.

"That's kind of rare, in a car. You can't stop a car. I never tried to stop anyone in a car," said Henry Webb, who owns All Webb's Bail Bonds and has been in the business for 32 years. "It's a lot of sitting around waiting; that's the main thing, waiting, getting them in the right position."

According to Webb, only about 10 percent of his clients give him trouble. "Tracing a runaway, that's what we call it."

But, when it comes to tracking them down, the safety of everyone -- involved or not -- is crucial.

"I have a Taser, the same type police use," Webb said.  "I very seldom have to use that. In my 32 years, I used it once. You try to look at the big picture. Don't put myself in danger or others, trying to get one person that's the main guy."