Bradenton Firefighter Killed in Standoff with Police

The Bradenton Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of its own following a standoff with police Sunday evening.

The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. in the 3300 block of Oxford Drive West when a domestic situation turned violent, Brandenton Police Chief Michael Radzilowski said. The man, who has not yet been identified, walked out of his home and said he was going to kill himself and his sister.

Neighbors called 911.

When police arrived, the man was in his home. A hostage negotiator and the SWAT team were called out, Radzilowski said.

As SWAT was setting up, the man “walked out of his house with two handguns (and) pointed one of the guns at the officers,” he said. “An officer fired one round.”

That round, Radzilowski said, killed him.

The shooting is now under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The Bradenton Fire Department issued a statement Monday morning.

“The City of Bradenton Fire Department regrets to confirm the loss of one of our firefighters last night,” the statement reads. “We stand with the entire City of Bradenton family in grief, and express our most sincere condolences to family and friends.”

The department is not providing further information, nor is it releasing the name of the firefighter at this time.

“The policemen are upset and the firemen are upset,” Radzilowski said. “Everybody did what they had to do.”

See Also:

• Bradenton Firefighter Shot By Police Identified

Image via Shutterstock