Bradenton Police Arrest Brooksville Man In Twin Dolphin Marina Swatting Case

BRADENTON, FL — Bradenton police, with help from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, arrested a Brooksville man in connection with a May 29 swatting incident at Twin Dolphin Marina.

Ronald Sellars, 33, was arrested Friday and charged with filing a false report concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner, a second-degree felony, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device, a third-degree felony, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

Swatting is the act of making a false emergency report about a critical incident with the intent of triggering a large law enforcement response, police said. Those hoax reports divert emergency resources and create unnecessary hazards during emergency responses, the department said.

On the morning of May 29, Bradenton police were notified of suicidal comments made through the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline chat function.

The writer of the comments claimed to be on a boat at the marina, alleged he had killed at least one woman and said he intended to commit suicide, police said. The chat messages also included the boat owner's phone number.

Because of the seriousness of the messages, patrol officers, as well as the department's Drone Unit, SWAT Team and Hostage Negotiation Team responded to the marina.

After several attempts, officers made contact with the boat owner and a woman, and both were unharmed and unaware of the online threats, according to the department.

They told investigators that Sellars, the woman's husband, had repeatedly attempted to contact them on May 28 and May 29, according to police.

Though Sellars denied contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, detectives found digital evidence linking his devices to the online chat messages, police said.

Sellars is currently being held at the Hernando County Jail.

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