A 71-year-old man was taken into custody Nov. 4 after allegedly punching a Bradenton Beach Police Department officer and a struggle with other officers.
The incident occurred in the 1700 block of Gulf Drive South, and ended with the arrest of Richard Luedke, of no known address. He faces charges of disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer.
Luedke, according to police incident reports, was intoxicated when he punched a Bradenton Beach officer in the mouth.
The officer had approached Luedke after being told by two people about a man lying on the beach. The officer’s report indicated that he asked Luedke if he needed help and the man responded with profanities.
The officer told the man that he’d have to move along, and the man refused.
Then the officer told the man that he was under arrest and grabbed his arm. The man jerked away and the officer used pepper spray. In a struggle that ensued, Luedke allegedly punched the officer, who had used his radio to call for assistance.
Additional officers responded to the incident from BBPD and Holmes Beach Police Department.
When an HBPD officer arrived, two BBPD officers were placing Luedke on the ground to apply handcuffs, and the suspect still was resisting.
The HBPD officer drew his stun gun and warned Luedke to stop resisting.
Reports indicated that Luedke laid on his hands so that he could not be cuffed and shouted profanities at police.
The HBPD officer warned three more times that he would use his stun gun and then fired the stun gun, with the probes striking Luedke in the back.
Luedke still resisted and was stunned a second and then third time.
He was taken to Blake Medical Center in Bradenton for treatment and then the Manatee County jail with bond set at $2,620.
Luedke was scheduled for arraignment at the Manatee County Judicial Center in Bradenton on Dec. 9.
