Woman Charged With Trying to Kill Florida Deputy

April 21, 2014
A woman has been charged with attempted murder after she tried to shoot a Manatee County deputy.

MANATEE, Fla. -- A woman has been charged with attempted murder after she tried to shoot a deputy early Sunday in Bradenton, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Darlene Latrice Miller, 24, was arrested just before 4 p.m. Sunday after she was found walking in the 2700 block of 46th Avenue Drive West, Bradenton, according to a sheriff's office news release.

Miller fired at least three shots before running away from the accident near the intersection of Cortez Road West and 34th Street West. The deputy was not injured, according to a news release.

Miller was charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, and was being held without bond at the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Miller has a history of arrests related to confrontations with law enforcement.

According to court and jail records, Bradenton police arrested Miller on April 3 after she threw a cup of alcohol at an officer in the 1200 block of 14th Street West. The next day, she was released from the Manatee County jail after posting bonds totaling $6,620 on charges of battery on an officer, resisting arrest, drug possession, trespassing and violating the open container ordinance, according to the jail website.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges April 8, according to court records.

Court records also indicate Miller is facing a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest in connection with a March 28 arrest when a Bradenton police officer tried to ticket her for walking in the middle of the street; and a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance in connection with an arrest in September. She also faces traffic-related charges dating to August 2012.

In the latest incident, a deputy made a traffic stop of a vehicle in the 4200 block of Cortez Road West, Bradenton. As the deputy was checking on the driver's information, the driver took off, according to the news release.

The deputy saw the vehicle turn south onto 34th Street West and crash into a concrete wall. The sheriff's office said deputies were not chasing the car when it crashed.

Deputies went to check on the driver, who was standing outside the car, and ordered her to move away from the vehicle. That's when the suspect shot at one of the deputies, according to the news release.

The deputy took cover behind his vehicle, and the woman fired two more shots before running away, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies identified Miller as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant charging her with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.

"At this time, it's unclear as to why Miller shot at the deputy," the sheriff's office said.

Miller was arrested about 10 hours later.

This is the second time in less than a week someone has taken a shot at deputies.

A 24-year-old man killed himself Monday during a shootout in East Manatee after he wounded a deputy who was trying to arrest him after a bank robbery, according to the sheriff's office.

Copyright 2014 - The Bradenton Herald

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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