BRADENTON, Fla. — A man in Florida killed another man in self-defense when the other man came at him with a knife.
The Bradenton Police Department said that on Sunday, police were sent to the area of 700 11th Avenue E. because there was a shooting there.
Around 3:30 a.m., police found a 31-year-old guy who had been shot twice. The man was taken by EMS to a hospital nearby, where he was declared dead.
Due to Marsy’s Law, the name of the person who died will not be made public.
Detectives said they were looking for 35-year-old Bruce Brooks at first because they wanted to talk to him, but they didn’t think he was a suspect.
Police say that Brooks came forward and told the Homicide Task Force what happened.
Brooks and several other witnesses told police that a 31-year-old man was yelling at neighbors after a fight with his wife outside his home.
At some point, the man got a machete, went into a neighbor’s yard, and went up to Brooks, who was sleeping in the carport of his house.
The police say that when Brooks woke up, he saw the man with the knife coming toward him. Then Brooks shot the man to protect himself. Brooks, who has been convicted of a felony before, left the scene but called the cops later.
Even though Brooks shot the guy in self-defense, the police said he is a convicted felon. Since then, he has been charged with having a gun while being a convicted criminal.
Anyone with information about the incident should call Detective Jeff Beckley or Detective Todd Freed at 941-932-9300. Call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-634-TIPS (8477) if you want to stay anonymous.
