FBI, FDLE investigating robbery, police shooting that injured 2 after pursuit ends in Medley, police say
Two people were taken to a local hospital Friday morning after a reported robbery and police shooting, following a police pursuit that started in Sweetwater and ended in Medley, Sweetwater police said.
A third person was taken into custody, officials said.
Authorities from multiple agencies, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the FBI, are now investigating.
Police: Officers interrupted robbery in progress
At a press conference held Thursday afternoon, Sweetwater Police Chief Sergio Diez and department spokesperson Alvaro Zabaleta details about the incident, which began around 10:50 a.m. at a warehouse near Northwest 108th Avenue and 17th Street.
Zabaleta explained that Sweetwater officers responded immediately to multiple 911 calls reporting a possible armed robbery in progress.
"Once they got here, they confronted the subjects that were committing this crime," Zabaleta said. "Shots were fired. There was a police chase that ensued thereafter that took officers northbound and it ended in the city of Medley, where the three subjects were apprehended."
One suspect shot, another hospitalized
According to Zabaleta, one of the apprehended individuals was found with an apparent gunshot wound and transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
"There was a second person that was also transported, not related to any gun violence or any gunshots, however, still was requesting some medical attention and he's listed in stable condition," he added. "A third individual still remains in custody here as part of the investigation."
Zabaleta emphasized that the FBI is now leading the investigation into the robbery itself.
Police chief: "Today is a good day"
Chief Diez noted that no officers were injured in the incident.
"So, today is a good day, because none of my officers were hurt," Diez said.
"We were able to arrive in the progress of a robbery and that's what police does. We try to apprehend the bad guys, make sure that our victims are safe. So, for me, today, I had a good day, because none of my officers were hurt."
Diez said that FDLE is handling the police shooting aspect of the investigation and that some officers involved are currently being interviewed.
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Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Olympian Fred Kerley is at a troubling juncture after allegations of violence
Shortly after the new year, Fred Kerley walked with his girlfriend down a famous street in a glitzy section of Miami Beach, the kind of place that once had seemed so distant. Before Kerley sprinted in two Olympics and became one of the world's fastest men, he was raised by his aunt in a Texas home that at various points housed more than two dozen people. To remind himself of how far he had come, he had the word 'Bless' tattooed on his right arm, an identifying mark that would later appear in an arrest affidavit. Kerley and his girlfriend were returning to his car. They found it roped off behind a police scene. An argument with police erupted into a scuffle, body-cam footage shows, and quickly four police officers were on top of him, delivering blows to his head and ribs. 'Damn, I tried to get away from this life,' Kerley later said on the podcast 'The Pivot.' 'And this life got in front of me.' The altercation led to the first of a string of charges this year against Kerley, who has maintained his innocence while finding himself at a crossroads. Kerley transcended a tumultuous early life and became one of the most significant sprinters of his era, at one point carrying the unofficial title of world's fastest man. He now faces potential time behind bars in Florida. The charges include two misdemeanors and a felony stemming from an altercation with police that included him being Tasered; an allegation of domestic violence made in 2024 by his now-estranged wife, the mother of his three children, who said in an interview she feared for her life during the alleged incident; and a battery charge in connection with allegedly punching an Olympian ex-girlfriend at a hotel in Miami before a track meet from which he subsequently was expelled. 'I do feel bad for him,' said his wife, Angelica Kerley. 'We worked so hard for you to build this career, and him building his own image, for you to wait until you're 30 years old and destroy it.' Kerley has pleaded not guilty in all three cases, and his lawyer said in an interview that he believes all of the charges will be dismissed. Kerley, who declined to be interviewed for this story, has showed little outward concern, competing in professional races on three continents this season and posting frequently on social media. In one recent post, he accepted compliments for wearing Nike sneakers and a Louis Vuitton belt on a ranch. 'Legendary,' he wrote. 'I just don't think that someone gets to this level of athletic performance by being a quitter or by being someone that wallows in their suffering,' said Richard Cooper, Kerley's Miami-based attorney. 'He's focus-driven. He's going to continue doing what he does best.' In a statement, USA Track & Field indicated that Kerley remains eligible to compete in its national championships, which will begin July 31 in Eugene, Oregon. The U.S. championships are considered a 'protected competition,' which means the eligibility of athletes is covered by the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and USOPC bylaws. 'USATF is monitoring Fred Kerley's ongoing legal situation carefully and although he faces serious allegations, he also has the right to compete in certain track and field meetings (protected competitions),' the statement read. 'USATF is determined to provide a safe environment for all our community with a zero tolerance policy on any form of violent behavior.' World Athletics, track and field's global governing body, did not provide any specific rationale for its decision to allow Kerley to compete in Diamond League events. When Kerley won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in the 100 meters last summer, a probable cause for his arrest on domestic violence charges sat in a law enforcement database. Back home, Angelica Kerley tried to avoid the race. People congratulated her, unaware of their separation, her allegations and her subsequent petition for divorce. She finds it odd that Kerley is still allowed to run. 'It's triggering to me even now,' Angelica said. 'Knowing that the type of person he is, people are still publicly praising him.' Kerley's rise to the Olympics began in hardship. His father was imprisoned, and his mother, Kerley previously said in interviews, fell victim to drug addiction by the time he turned 2. Kerley moved from San Antonio to Taylor, Texas, where his aunt, Virginia, took in him and his siblings. He lived at times under a roof with 26 people. Two of his brothers, records show, have been either charged with or convicted of felony drug crimes. If not for track, Kerley said on 'The Pivot' in April: 'I don't know what I'd be doing. I definitely wouldn't be doing nothing legal.' His high school track coach recommended Kerley to South Plains College, a junior college in Levelland, Texas. Christopher Beene, the South Plains coach, watched Kerley at the Texas state meet his senior year. When he saw Kerley walk to his mark for the 4x400 relay, all long limbs and bulging muscles, Beene turned to his assistant and said, 'We're signing that kid.' In his telling, Kerley joined South Plains as a walk-on. Technically, that's true. But Beene was eager to offer Kerley a scholarship. He just didn't have to. Kerley was deemed a ward of the state, which meant Texas would pay for Kerley's room and board, tuition, books, everything. Kerley met a teammate then named Angelica Taylor. Over a year of Kerley's pursuit, she fell for him. He was persistent, she said. He was respectful when they were alone together. He had a generous heart. Another teammate, with whom he was not friendly, once asked Kerley to buy her a bag of chips. He obliged. 'Why would you do that if you don't like her?' Angelica asked Kerley. 'Because I know what it's like to go without eating,' Angelica recalled Kerley saying. 'And I don't want anyone else to have to feel like that.' Kerley treated track and field as a way out of his circumstances. He rarely spoke with coaches unless he had a question. 'If you told him, 'Let's go run through this wall,' Fred would say, 'Okay, how many times?'' Beene said. 'He would run until he'd fall down on the track. Then he'd get back up, and if he had another rep, he'd get it done.' An incident early in his sophomore year at South Plains threatened Kerley's career before it blossomed. According to Beene, Kerley went with a group of South Plains sprinters and basketball players to a dance club in a rough part of Lubbock. The South Plains athletes squabbled with another group of men. The basketball team's point guard escalated matters, Beene said, charging one of the other guys. Kerley grabbed the point guard and held him back. Once Kerley released him, the point guard channeled his anger at Kerley: He grabbed a piece of glass off the ground and slashed Kerley over the eye, according to Beene. 'Fred literally could have killed that guy right there,' Beene said. 'And Fred stopped, took a deep breath, trying to keep the blood from running into his eye. The other guys from the track team said, 'Come on, Fred, let's go.' So he backed off and walked away. That's the kind of person we were so proud of.' When the incident reached the South Plains administration, Beene said, he fought to maintain Kerley's place at the school. If he had been suspended, Kerley probably wouldn't have accumulated enough credit hours to transfer to a four-year school. 'He saved himself by acting right, and he allowed me a chance to save him later,' Beene said. With Beene's support, Kerley transferred to Texas A&M, a powerhouse where he set the collegiate record in the 400. The first time Angelica Kerley saw a violent streak in her future husband, she said, came shortly after they moved into their first apartment together in College Station, when their daughter was 1. Angelica recalled trying to help Kerley with an iPad. He snatched it away, and Angelica smacked it out of his grasp. Kerley stood up, Angelica said, and wrapped his hands around her neck. 'I got up, and I shoved him into the wall, and I told him he better never do that again,' Angelica said. It was not the only red flag. Angelica Kerley said that after the couple moved to Miami, while she was pregnant with their second child, they argued one morning about Kerley not walking their dog. She said Kerley grew upset and 'smacked' her in the back of her head. When provided a list of specific allegations made by his now estranged wife, Fred Kerley's lawyer said his client never abused Angelica Kerley. 'It's unsurprising that Mrs. Kerley is continuing with her slanderous fabrications but nevertheless disappointing,' Cooper wrote in a text message. 'Fred is an imperfect man, husband, and father, as we all are. However, my client categorically denies in the strongest way that he was ever physically, emotionally, or financially abusive to his family.' By 2019, Kerley had won the U.S. title in the 400. He entered the Tokyo Olympics cycle among the gold medal favorites, then sprained his ankle before the U.S. Olympic trials. Swelling prevented him from turning, but Kerley could still sprint straight. To the shock of track observers, Kerley announced he was switching from the 400 to the 100, the sport's marquee event. Kerley further stunned the track world when he captured the silver medal in the 100 in Tokyo. He left Nike, then his top sponsor, and signed a lucrative contract with Asics. Kerley's career continued its upward trajectory. His apex came at the world championships in 2022, where he won the 100 and earned the unofficial title of world's fastest man. 'I know today opened up many doors for me,' Kerley said that night. 'I'm thankful for that.' In Paris last summer, Kerley crossed the line in the final of the 100 near the front of a frenzied pack. He claimed bronze after a photo finish, making him the only man to medal in both post-Usain Bolt Olympic 100 races. It seemed he had fully separated himself from the difficulties of his childhood. Back in the United States, Angelica tried not to watch. 'People kept congratulating me,' she said, 'because nothing had hit the fan.' After 11 p.m. Jan. 2, Kerley walked with his girlfriend, Cleo Rahman, a musical artist known as DJ Sky High Baby, near Miami Beach's famed Ocean Drive. He discovered his car had been roped off inside a police scene and approached four Miami Beach police officers with 'an aggressive demeanor,' according to an arrest affidavit. Kerley argued with them, body-camera footage shows. One placed his hand on Kerley's chest, body-camera footage shows, which the arrest affidavit described as an attempt to create space from Kerley. Kerley slapped the hand away, then shoved the officer. A fracas ensued. Four officers wrestled Kerley to the ground and pummeled Kerley, according to the affidavit, with 'hammer fists toward the defendant's upper head area' and 'multiple diversionary strikes toward his rib cage, which were unsuccessful.' After roughly a minute, the officers backed off Kerley. When he stood, one officer Tasered Kerley for five seconds in his lower back. 'Full neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI) was achieved,' the affidavit reads. Body-camera footage shows Kerley falling onto his stomach. Kerley was arrested and charged with battery against a police officer, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct. At a bond hearing the next day, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer found no probable cause for the disorderly conduct charge and lightly admonished a Miami Beach police sergeant who appeared via videoconference. 'Sergeant,' she said, 'this could have been handled a different way.' Kerley's jail booking triggered an automatic alert to a detective with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office who had been looking to arrest Kerley in connection with an unrelated incident six months earlier: Kerley's wife had called police and alleged he had strangled her. On May 7, 2024, according to an arrest affidavit, the couple got into an argument that, Angelica said, was far different from the violent flashes she had experienced in the past. 'I thought that the man was going to kill me,' Angelica said. Kerley began approaching Angelica in an 'aggressive demeanor,' according to the affidavit, and she told him to step back. Kerley did not, the affidavit reads, and out of fear Angelica punched him in the face. 'He took his arm, and he put it around my neck,' Angelica said. 'He's strangling me with his arm from behind. I couldn't even get out of it. He lifted up the top half of my body, squeezed in between his arms, where the frontside of your elbow is, and he choked me. He strangled me.' Their three children, now 9, 3 and 1, were in the room at the time, Angelica said. She still didn't know whether she should contact police. 'You don't want to call the cops on somebody that you love,' Angelica said. Ultimately she did, swayed by her daughter's account of what she had experienced. When officers arrived, according to the arrest affidavit, Kerley had fled. Because Kerley was no longer at the scene, the detective entered a notice into a law-enforcement database that Kerley was to be arrested on a charge of domestic battery, a sheriff's department spokesman told the Miami Herald in January. Kerley was aware of the complaint as he trained for and competed in the Olympics last summer. Cooper, his lawyer, said Kerley had been led to believe was in the clear. A detective 'even told me to tell Fred to break a leg in Paris,' Cooper said. Cooper called the allegation 'very serious' and expressed confidence Angelica's account will be proven false. 'I have no reason to lie,' Angelica said. 'I don't have any personal gain or publicity I'm trying to gain from this situation. It's domestic violence. Who wants to talk about that? Who wants that to be their image?' In January, Angelica filed for divorce in Florida. In her petition, she alleged Kerley had been unfaithful. She also asked for a restraining order, alleging Kerley 'has been harassing and/or abusing wife and her family, friends and acquaintances and wife fears that husband will irreparably harm wife unless restrained by this court.' Angelica Kerley claimed he has refused to financially support her and their children. She filed for child support in November, and she said Kerley refused to attend mediation. The divorce case is still pending in Miami-Dade court. Kerley's legal trouble expanded this spring. On May 1, he traveled to the Le Meridien hotel in Dania Beach, about 25 miles north of Miami Beach. He was preparing for the second event of Grand Slam Track, a new league started by Olympic legend Michael Johnson. It had made Kerley one of its stars, featuring him on its website. Olympic hurdler Alaysha Johnson, who dated Kerley for six months in 2024, according to a Broward County Sherriff arrest affidavit, also planned to compete in the Miami Grand Slam Track meet. She ran into Kerley at the hotel, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit, and they began to argue. According to the affidavit, Kerley shouted something along the lines of 'I'm going to f--- everyone up in here.' Kerley struck Johnson in the face, according to the affidavit, causing her nose to bleed. The affidavit noted that photographs showed injuries consistent with Johnson's telling. In a statement Kerley released days later, he acknowledged there had been a physical altercation but said he was arrested only because he chose not to talk with police without his attorney present. 'Frankly, Kerley is a little nervous around law enforcement given the absolute beating that he received at the hands of the Miami Beach police early this year,' Cooper said. 'He did the right thing. He invoked his rights immediately. Without a rebuttal story, the police arrested him.' Kerley's account differs from the affidavit, Cooper said. Cooper said that another man was present and that the fight occurred between him and Kerley. Johnson, Cooper said, was there 'instigating' the fight and was struck inadvertently. 'The idea that Fred would punch someone if he didn't have this nonsense domestic violence allegation, no one would even buy that for a second, that he would punch a random woman, an ex-girlfriend he saw in the hallway of a hotel,' Cooper said. 'That's so out of character, frankly. But because he has this other nonsense allegation, it does lend some credence in the eyes of the public, which is unfortunate. 'Eventually, that case will be dismissed. His case in Miami Beach will be dismissed. And this Broward case will be the outlier and will be considered outlier alleged conduct and will once again seem ridiculous. We've got to crush all these one at a time.' Through her track and field agent, Johnson declined to comment. Kerley's legal issues haven't stopped his career, but they have affected it. Since the most recent allegations, he has run in Diamond League meets in Morocco and, in early June, in Rome, where he finished fifth in the 100. The May altercation left Kerley suspended from Grand Slam Track until the conclusion of the legal case, a league spokesman said. It cost him a potential financial windfall: Kenny Bednarek, promoted to be his main rival in a video still on Grand Slam Track's website, won $100,000 in each of the two meets Kerley missed, plus another $100,000 season-long bonus. In March, Beene ran into Kerley at the Texas Relays. He had not seen his old junior college sprinter in years. When he saw Kerley, he hugged him and told him, 'If you ever need anything, I'm still here.' Beene had read media reports about Kerley's altercation with police in Miami Beach but not the domestic violence allegation. He wondered whether fame had brought malign influences into Kerley's life. But he also remembered the kid who came from nothing and backed away from a fight with blood trickling into his eye. 'Unless he's changed a lot toward the negative, the Fred Kerley I know would not have done it the way they said he did it,' Beene said. Angelica said she is not in love with Kerley anymore but has love for him because he is the father of their children. She is leaning against testifying against him at a potential trial. 'I really don't want Fred to be in prison because of our kids,' Angelica said. 'I had a dad that was in prison, and he missed some of our lives.' Angelica wonders now whether Kerley was ever really the kind, generous person she met at South Plains. 'Honestly, I'm just tired,' she said. '… I understand he moves these certain ways because of things he has had to go through in his past, as a child. I understand why he's this way. But it's not fair to me to have to deal with that.' David Ovalle contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
'She got the arm completely destroyed': 911 call alerts of Boca Grande shark attack
One of two 911 callers frantically alerted authorities of a shark in the Boca Grande water and said they needed help "ASAP." About noon June 11, Boca Grande Fire, along with the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Lee County EMS, responded to the 2200 block of Shore Lane when bystanders reported a shark attacked a 9-year-old girl. Authorities said the swimmer was in the water on the beach when the incident happened. More: 9-year-old girl injured in Florida shark attack. How to protect yourself in the water A GoFundMe fundraiser identified the girl as 9-year-old Leah Lendel and within 24 hours raised more than $25,000 toward its $80,000 goal. Two sharks have attacked Boca Grande beachgoers since C.W. Blosser became the Boca Grande Fire chief, the most recent just this week. Blosser, who has been in the fire service for four decades and was hired as chief 16 years ago. He added it is the first shark attack he responded to. The first of two callers alerted of a shark nearby. "We need medical services [as soon as possible]," a man said. "There's a shark in the water." The dispatcher asked if anyone was injured. "I need to know exactly what happened," the dispatcher said. The caller replied that the attack affected the arm of a "little kid." "She got the arm completely destroyed," the caller said. He added that the child was awake and breathing. The caller said Lendel was responding normally, but she was scared. He told the dispatcher the attack affected "the whole wrist." The dispatcher then instructed the caller to grab a towel and put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. "I need you to stay right with the child," the dispatcher said. A second caller reached out to make sure dispatchers had the correct address. The specific location is redacted in the call recording, which lasted just more than 30 seconds. Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@ or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Boca Grande shark attack: Authorities report two 911 calls
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
Florida diver convicted of freeing 19 sharks says he's ‘speechless' after getting pardon from President Trump
A Florida-based shark diver convicted of illegally freeing marine wildlife intended for research off the Sunshine State's coast was left 'speechless' after receiving a surprise pardon from President Trump. Tanner Mansell, 31, received the shocking news while boarding a plane on May 28, nearly five years after he was first accused of unwittingly cutting a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration longline and releasing 19 sharks and a giant grouper back into the ocean. 'We were really surprised to get the pardon,' Mansell told Fox News Digital. 4 Tanner Mansell reacting to receiving a presidential pardon. FOX News 'I was getting a call from my lawyer and I answered, and he says, 'Well, I've got good news for you. You just got a full presidential pardon.' I was speechless. I couldn't even say thank you. I just soaked it in.' Mansell and his charter boat captain, John Moore Jr., who also received a pardon, were ordered to fork over more than $3,300 in restitution after they were convicted in 2022 of theft of property within special maritime jurisdiction. 4 Mansell, 31, received the shocking news while boarding a plane on May 28. FOX News The two men avoided prison time but were ultimately prevented from voting in Florida, owning firearms, and traveling freely outside the country – a condition that had long hindered Mansell's ability to obtain travel visas to carry out his conservation efforts. 'I'm just so grateful,' he told the outlet. 'I have said thank you every step of the way. Words can't explain it. I've always considered myself a law-abiding citizen, somebody that doesn't break the law and I respect law enforcement and commercial fishermen.' 4 Donald Trump granted the pardon to Mansell and his charter boat captain. AFP via Getty Images In August 2020, the pair of divers came across the longline connected to a buoy about three miles off Jupiter Inlet and, believing it to be illegal, cut it, freeing the apex predators and grouper in the process, according to court documents. The men reported their actions to state wildlife officials and brought the line back to shore – but were later hit with federal charges and ultimately found guilty by a jury two years later. 'In our mind, the entire time, we thought we were uncovering a crime rather than committing a crime,' Mansell said. 4 Diver interacting with a shark underwater. FOX News 'I just felt like my world came to a stop, my heart sank. We called [law enforcement], we did everything that we could. The judge made a comment, and he commended us for our dedication to [the environment]. He gave out what my lawyer said was probably the lowest sentence ever.' Mansell's attorney, Ian Goldstein, told the outlet that the case should never have been filed, framing the maritime incident as an 'honest mistake' made by two individuals saving sharks they believed were in danger. 'I can't think of two individuals more deserving of a Presidential Pardon,' Goldstein said. With Post wires.
