Man Tries to Wrestle Alligator, Saved by Teen Heroes

Another only-in-Florida story I missed a few weeks ago, around the 4th of July holiday was about Matthew Pope, a man in Bartow who ended up on the losing end of an Alligator encounter. Apparently, he initiated it himself: don’t blame the poor gator for attacking. The guy claims his dog was recently eaten by a gator, and that he was seeking revenge: which is not legal justification for messing with Alligators, who are protected by law in Florida. Turns out, he may have been fibbing about the dog.

He grabbed the gator, who was able to bust out of his grip and latch on to his arm. He was lucky he didn’t get hurt more severely, or even killed. Two teenagers, Daniel Butler and Ryan Stromsnes, jumped in the water to save him, and then used a belt to make a tourniquet for his injured arm. These kids are legitimately heros. The poor gator ended up being destroyed by authorities, and he didn’t even pick the fight. No word on whether Pope will face charges for molesting the gator.

Just another reminder, don’t mess with wild animals, especially gators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYwLCEgtvoM

Crimcourts strives to be the leading Alligator blog news leader.

Crazy Florida Keeps Acting Crazy

Naked Guy from NAPLES

The downside of being busy and not getting to keep up with the blog the past few weeks, is that craziness, in particular that Hiaasen-style only-in-Florida craziness endemic to the Sunshine State, has provided so many incidents that I can’t keep up. Just in the news today, a naked man tackled an old guy in Naples. Didn’t rob him, nothing sexual. Some drunk guy just got naked and tackled an old guy.  He got himself a felony for Battery on a Person over 65. Just another day in Florida…

Human Pterodactyl from Legoland

That’s not as bad as the guy in Polk County, who ran around Legoland’s water park claiming to be a Pterodactyl, squawking like a giant flying dinosaur. He’s also a SW Florida original, visiting the park from Port Charlotte. He was also drunk. Richard Campagna managed to earn himself a felony for Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, for splashing the cop that tried to catch him in the Lazy River, plus disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, etc.

Accused Molester Raymond Frolander

National news covered the father who beat up another man that he says he walked in on sexually abusing his son. This is absolutely not a humorous story, but dad’s stark honesty is amazing.  He made no apologies for rearranging the guy’s face: when the cops asked if he had used a weapon, he said no, just his fists and his foot, and says he would have killed him but for his son’s pleas for mercy. He told the dispatcher, “He is nice and knocked out on the floor for you, I dragged him into the living room,’ the father said. ‘Send an ambulance. He is going to need one.” The cops didn’t begrudge him for his actions, and have not charged him with anything. The alleged accuser, Raymond Frolander, 18, apparently admitted that he had been abusing the boy for several years. The dad could be in trouble for beating the abuser, as discovery of abuse is not a defense to the crime of battery: legally Defense of Others is a defense, but it is only valid while the danger is imminent. And you would be hard pressed to find a law enforcement agency that would want to prosecute under those circumstances.

Michael Doster

However, the craziest story out of Florida in the past week is the man who’s wife died after confronting him over a sexual encounter on a nude beach the other day. Apparently, Pamela Doster caught Michael Doster and another man giving each other oral sex, which understandably did not sit well with her. After that, a bizarre confrontation ensued, that may have involved him striking her and knocking her off their jet ski several times. He gave a statement to police that she refused to get back on the jet ski, and that he called 911, who sent officers out to the sand bar to collect her. She was taken to the hospital and later died, though the cause is unclear. He has been arrested for domestic battery, but could end up facing a murder charge if he actions directly led to her death. It will be interesting to see if there was something intervening that caused her death, or if he caused it, whether he will be charged with manslaughter or murder. It’s a bizarre case that won’t be resolved for a while, though authorities are calling him a suspect in her death. Police are also looking to speak with the other man from the sexual encounter. It also occurred in Manatee County, which just had another public sex situation in the news. Only in Florida…

Sex on the Beach isn’t a Drink in Bradentonradenton

Video of Sex on the Beach

A couple was arrested in Bradenton for Lewd Exhibition for having sex on the beach in full view of dozens of beachgoers, including children, and a grandmother who taped them. Their brazenness is impressive, apparently they were doing it for 25 minutes, passed out for a while, then woke up and started at it again before someone stopped them, and called police. It was the second session that granny recorded.  Just another day in Florida…

via Fox 13: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/26073588/pair-charged-for-sex-on-bradenton-beach

Mug Shots, via Fox13 Tampa

Another Big Drug Bust by LCSO

The Lee County Sheriff has conducted several large-scale drug stings in hte last several months, and announced the completion of another one today, this time in the Suncoast Estates area of North Fort Myers. So far, 31 people have been arrested in the sting.

http://www.sheriffleefl.org/main/index.php?r=news/index&id=12468

Cape Coral Police Face Excessive Force Allegations, Again

Travis Robey Mug Shot

According to CCPD reports, 20-year-old Travis Robey was intoxicated and sitting in a parking lot when he was approached by officers. He got combative, struck officers, and tried to run away, and during his detention, got roughed up a bit and tased. His behavior sounds pretty outrageous, especially if you consider that at only 20, he wasn’t allowed to be drinking in the first place. Officers say they found marijuana in the vehicle as well.

Now, after some national press and a YouTube video, allegations have come out that officers continued to use force against Robey after her was subdued. Witnesses who happened to be in the area used their phone to record footage, which is not easy to see, due to darkness, that they say was the officers using excessive force, and then threatening the innocent bystanders themselves. Robey’s father says that officers broke Robey’s leg, then made him walk on it and laughed at his injuries. Troubling allegations, to be sure.

The biggest surprise for me was discovering that Georgeann Lytle is still a Cape Police Officer. She was involved in this incident, and has had previous professional complaints, at least one involving excessive force, and another regarding a false detention that led to her demotion. Here’s the irony, even if she was acting properly, her personnel record makes it that mush more likely that Cape Coral will be interested in settling for a monetary settlement. That’s more taxpayer money likely to be spent because the department let a known trouble cop stay on the force.

Robey could be facing more than ten years in prison, for two felonies and a couple more misdemeanors. He is innocent until proven guilty… as are the cops.

The FBI Can Still Call the Juggalos a ‘Gang’

The Insane Clown Posse (ICP)

In a lawsuit that’s been going on since the FBI described the Juggalos – a looseknit fanbase of the music group Insane Clown Posse, as a hybrid gang. By listing them in their 2011 report, law enforcement agencies are more likely to scrutinize fans of the band, who are called juggalos even if they are not involved in criminal activity, which the vast majority are not. The court has dismissed the case, which means that the FBI can continue to use their descriptive term, which apparently they are not trying to even do anymore: though some agencies still refer to the 2011 report.

http://news.yahoo.com/insane-clown-posse-loses-fbi-lawsuit-juggalos-gang-164721342.html;_ylt=AwrBEiRTWLxTpiEAe.fQtDMD

Don’t Make Judgment in the Child in Hot Car Case Until the Facts are Known

Justin Harris Mug Shot

I have been busy and haven’t gotten to update the blog regarding Justin Harris, the man charged with murder for allegedly intentionally leaving his child in a car, who then died from the heat. The facts that have been released so far sound damning: apparently Harris did searches on his computer related to dying from heat, he ignored calls from the child’s day care, and he was sexting with women other than his wife on the day of the incident. He also had life insurance on the child that he is now seeking to collect. However, for as terrible as the facts sound so far, the case is far from proven. Attorney Mark O’Mara, who impressively defended George Zimmerman, filed an Op Ed encouraging people to reserve their judgment. Give it a read, O’Mara is frequently a well-spoken voice of resrevation. http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/01/opinion/omara-hot-car-dad-harris/index.html

Negligence happens, and unless malice or intent can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, the case is substantially different. Just recently in Southwest Florida, Melissa Smith was acquitted of Aggravated Manslaughter when the jury did not find that her negligence rose to that level of criminality. She was found guilty of a lesser charge of Child Neglect and three counts of Culpable Negligence. She was sentenced to eight months in jail and 5 years of probation.