Holmes Beach police officers filed a capias request July 5 for a third-degree felony charge against Bradenton resident Johnny Richardson, 26, for aggravated assault. He allegedly attempted to hit another vehicle while driving.
HBPD also filed a capias request — a request for a court order to arrest someone based on certain charges — for a first-degree misdemeanor charge against Richardson for possessing under 20 grams of marijuana.
The incident July 5 began when a motorist approached two HBPD officers to report the driver of a silver Mazda tried to hit the vehicle carrying a family of four while driving southbound on Gulf Drive.
One officer stayed with the witnesses, who said the Mazda cut off their vehicle while passing on the left — nearly hitting them and the vehicle in front of them — and forced them to stop by parking in the road.
The witnesses said that the Mazda’s driver, later identified as Richardson, exited his vehicle with his arms outstretched, as if aiming a handgun.
Richardson then reentered his vehicle and drove away but not before the witnesses got a photo of his license plate.
The witnesses provided the photo as evidence and written affidavits, stating they would like to press charges.
The other officer tracked Richardson’s vehicle to Cortez, where he conducted a traffic stop, waited for backup, then searched the vehicle for firearms.
The officers did not find a gun but did find 2.7 grams of marijuana inside the vehicle.
When officers tried to detain Richardson, he became “extremely uncooperative and emotional, advising he could not breathe.” So they called emergency medical services, according to the HBPD report.
EMS deemed that Richardson’s behavior was due to the influence of drugs and he was transported to Blake Medical Center in Bradenton for treatment under the Marchman Act.
Medical staff also provided Richardson with medication that “incapacitated” him, so the officers were unable to get an interview at the time.
Since no firearm was found in Richardson’s vehicle, the officers submitted the capias requests to the state attorney’s office. They also issued Richardson a court summons for driving without a license and a citation for having no proof of insurance.