Holmes Beach police arrested Bradenton resident Brendon Prudhomme, 37, Aug. 16 on three criminal charges, including two felonies and a misdemeanor.
Those charges include:
- A second-degree felony for attempted escape from police custody;
- A third-degree felony for possession of a concealed handcuff key while in police custody;
- A second-degree misdemeanor for disorderly intoxication causing public disturbance.
An officer driving in the 3200 block of East Bay Drive near a trolley stop around 8 p.m. observed a verbal altercation involving Prudhomme, recognized by the officer from past interactions.
The officer activated his emergency lights and separated the involved parties.
A man and woman at the scene told the officer that Prudhomme had a knife and sparked the altercation by yelling “unnecessary and provoking statements” at them, according to a police report.
However, they did not want to press charges and left the scene.
The officer spoke with Prudhomme, who appeared to be impaired. He also was on supervised pretrial release and was not allowed to possess any weapons.
Prudhomme admitted he had a knife, which a backup officer found nearby.
The officers arrested Prudhomme for violating his supervised release conditions and for disorderly intoxication.
When police searched him and his backpack, they found four more knives.
Prudhomme was transported for processing to the Holmes Beach Police Department, where he was handcuffed to a bench.
While an officer was typing the arrest report, he heard something metallic fall near Prudhomme. When he checked to see what had caused the sound, he found a nail scraper with a sharp edge.
The officer examined the handcuffs securing Prudhomme and found several new scrape marks near the keyhole, where he allegedly tried to open the cuffs.
Prudhomme was transported to the Manatee County jail, where he remained as of Aug. 20 under a $10,500 bond.
If convicted, punishment for a second-degree felony charge includes up to 15 years in prison, 15 years of probation and a fine of up to $10,000.
Punishment for a third-degree felony includes up to five years in prison, five years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000.
Punishment for a second-degree misdemeanor includes up to 60 days, six months of probation and a fine of up to $500.
An arraignment will be at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.