PALM COAST, Fla. – Deputies said on Friday they will recommend charges to the State Attorney’s Office for a homeowner who fired shots at players of the “Pokemon Go” app in the dark of night on Saturday.
The affidavit was sent to the State Attorney’s Office and recommending the homeowner be charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle, criminal mischief and discharging a firearm in public.
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The first charge is a felony, and the subsequent charges are both misdemeanors.
Several shots were fired during the early Saturday incident on Primrose Lane in Palm Coast.
Deputies interviewed a homeowner on Primrose Lane in Palm Coast, and learned he was awakened by a loud noise coming from outside of his home. Deputies said he got up from a bed, looked outside and noticed a small white car with its brake lights on in the roadway in front of his home.
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The homeowner armed himself with a handgun and went outside to investigate. Deputies said as he approached the vehicle, he heard someone say something like, “Did you get anything?"
The homeowner told deputies he then stepped in front of the vehicle and ordered the vehicle not to move. Deputies said the homeowner stated the vehicle accelerated toward him, causing him to flee the roadway.
Deputies said the homeowner discharged his handgun several times at the vehicle because he believed the vehicle was attempting to strike him. The vehicle sped away and was not found after the area was searched.
The homeowner could be facing charges, because deputies say "stand your ground" doesn't justify the shooting in this case.
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The Sheriff's Office said it received a call at 10:30 a.m. from a parent of a 19-year-old Palm Coast man who said her son told her that he and a 16-year-old friend were playing "Pokemon Go" at 1:30 a.m. when they were confronted by a man who came out from his home and shot at them several times.
She told deputies they did not tell her until Saturday morning when they observed the car had a flat tire and bullet holes in the rear tire, hubcap, and fender, deputies said.
After speaking to the teens, deputies learned that while they were sitting in the car on Primrose Lane, they heard someone say, "Did you catch him?" and one of the teens said, "Yeah, did you?" the Sheriff's Office said.
It was at that time that they heard gunshots, and they sped away and drove immediately home, deputies said. When they arrived at the home, they checked themselves to see if they were injured and they inspected the car to the best of their ability, but did not find any noticeable damage, the Sheriff's Office said.
Since they were not injured and there was no damage to the vehicle, they thought it was someone trying to scare them. Deputies said this is why they did not call law enforcement officers or tell their parents.
"We were able to skirt an absolute tragedy from happening for two young boys who were just trying to have a good time," said Jim Troiano of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies would like to remind residents that much could have been done differently in this incident and are urged to follow the listed safety tips:
Homeowners:
- Call 911 immediately when you suspect someone is trying to break into your home.
- If at all possible, be an excellent witness for law enforcement by providing valuable information on what is occurring.
- Avoid leaving the protection of your home to confront suspects. This should be handled by trained law enforcement officers.
Pokemon Go players:
- Use common sense, be alert at all times and stay aware of your surroundings. In law enforcement, we call this situational awareness.
- Watch where you are going.
- Do not drive or ride your bike, skateboard, or another device while interacting with the Pokemon Go app. You cannot do both safely at the same time.
- Do not trespass, go onto private property or into any area you usually, would not if you weren’t playing Pokemon Go.
- Understand that people can use your location to lure you to “PokeStops” so they can victimize you.
- Take a friend with you.
- If you are a minor, check with a parent before going anywhere and tell an adult or law enforcement officer immediately if anything happens.
Parents of Pokemon Go players:
- Talk to your kids about strangers and set limits on where your kids can go.
- Be aware of third-party software apps claiming to enhance the gaming experience. Unfortunately, many of these apps allow access to sensitive personal data.