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Ding Dong Ditching turns deadly~Tyler Spann
Ding dong ditching is something that the kids all seem to be into these days….you ring a doorbell at night and then run. Annoying, yes. A crime…I don’t think so. It’s something most all kids have done at some point…my own have, and if I could remember that far back, I’d probably have to say I’ve done it myself.
Early Friday morning, Tyler Spann is alleged to have rung the doorbell of a Sarasota County cop,Deputy Carlos Verdoni, perhaps more than once (that part seems to be pretty much up in the air at this point). Now, if this happened at my house, I’d imagine I’d be annoyed, and then go back to sleep. Maybe call the cops if it’d happened multiple times. In this case, the officer apparently decided to deal with it by jumping in his patrol car, along with his gun, to hunt down the ding dong ditchers. From there the story gets murky…the cop says the kid (ok, he was 20, so technically, he was a man) wrestled with him and tried to go for his gun. At that point, the officer, saying he feared for his life, shot Tyler twice, killing him.
I’ve been reading on the forums, and most people seem to be on the side of the officer. After all, he felt threatened, and he shot. I understand all of that. My problem with this is, why did he feel the need to leave his house and chase the kid down? Why did he not simply call the police? Being a cop himself, I’m pretty sure he would have gotten a speedy response. Would the outcome have been the same, just with another officer being the one shooting Tyler? Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll never know, will we?
I don’t know, something just feels hinky with this story. I’ll be interested to see how the investigation plays out. In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of Tyler Spann. And I’ll be reminding my kids NOT to ding dong ditch. You never know when you’re going to ring the wrong doorbell.
The Herald Tribune story can be found here.
Police yourselves if you not happy with the fact we don’t take crap from a muscular little steroid freak looking for trouble
Joe the Plumber, hide behind your alias. You’re a disgrace to the badge!
Tyler was an athlete, yes; steriods, no. The fact is Verdoni was too much of a pussy to overtake this 5’4′ hulk of a man. As far as Verdoni not being in shape, hell 90% of the police I see today are a bunch of fat asses! You should be subjected to a conditioning program, but you don’t need to cause you have a gun.
Again, this piece of shit Cop who was in fear for his family left his wife and newborn at home to chase down a kid who rang his bell and ran. He must have been in real fear for his family leaving them there alone. I understand his car was vandalized a few days earlier. That warrants deadly force?
Again, no cuffs, no pepper spray, no tazer.
As far as policing myself, I put more trust in the common citizen with a gun more than you over the top cops who were bullys in school, bullied, or grew up with penis envy. I gave you the respect in response to your first insensitive remarks because I knew by your tone you were a cop. I still respect many police officers. You no longer deserve respect due to your ignorant and insensitive replies to this blog. You could have just left it alone. I’m beginning to think this is Verdoni himself. As far as the 54 officers killed in the line of duty nationwide, how many were gunned down in the badlands of Venice, Florida? I would like to see a statistic of how many unarmed citizens are killed annually by these proud officers of the law.
I have lived in many countries. America has by far the most over the top police force in the world. Innocent till proven guilty only pertains to the police. If you want to go on about the dangers of being a cop, quit! Go deliver mail or something. Soceity will no longer tolerate your type gunning down unarmed youth in their own driveway!
Construction workers, electricians, cell tower climbers, gas station attendants, road workers, factory workers, welders, landscape workers, etc, etc. I bet the casualty rate per capita is higher than that of a Police Officer.
These people serve society and put their life at risk everyday. That is why there is training, OSHA, regulations to follow, etc. If any of these people took a life through carelessness or accident by not following the guidelines, they do time. Joe, stick to plumbing. I don’t need your sort of protection for my family. My firearm will stay in my home and be used as the constitution and law permits.
Joe the Plummer, you are the biggest disrespectful asshole. Let’s see how you would feel having your 20 year old son shot for doing ding-dong ditch. Wow how life threatening is that? Have some respect for his parents, I’m sure they are reading this blog. So if you are 20 and muscular that must mean your on steroids according to you. I’m a trainer and that has to be the most narrow minded comment I’ve heard. Maybe if you got yourself to the gym occasionally you would no that.
The Spann family do not need jerks like you on this blog.No we may never know for sure what happened that night, but it certainly was not justified.
Glen, you have offically become my hero for the weekend (sorry mom).
I, too, apologize to my mama. Glen has taken her spot. Glen, if you had breasts and had popped me out, I couldn’t be more proud. LOL
Plumber, it’s obvious you’re one of those piece of shit cops that gets off on his power trip. You need help. Were you messed with as a kid? Therepy works wonders.
To the rest of you out there doing what you can for Tyler, the Spann family thanks you.
glad the MAN died… 20 years old and playing ring and run…are u kidding me? pathetic… the kid knocked on the devils door and it was answered… I am sure there is more to this story, ON ALL ACCOUNTS. People questioning why the officer didnt cuff him before he went to call for backup… there could be thousands of reasons…(officer safety, other individuals that might have been there, i.e. friends of the perps, possibility of having to begin a struggle after a foot pursuit.) unless you ever did patrol, and have to deal with certain thugs… u really cant have realistic point of view… Its the old “why cant the cop just shoot the gun out of the bad guys hands.” Too many liberals out there that second guess the cops… and are too quick to back the “innocent kid”…(btw, did they post this perps communion photo yet?) When are some of you going to take responsibility for your actions? Im with joe the plumber…police yourselves… and dont bitch and moan when the locale u live in, turns into a ghetto.
just my two cents…
Hey John Doe (another cop hiding his identity), where are the practical answers? Pepper spray, tazer, baton? This asshole did not follow protocal.
There is no reason on the face of this planet an unarmed 5’4 man with no criminal record whatsoever takes two slugs. I hope Verdoni goes down, and you and Joe the Plumber can ride each other’s pistols.
You cops use buzz words like service, honor, dedication like you are the only profession that implements these qualities and puts yourself in harm’s way everyway. I believe cops should be paid better, screened, better, trained better, and be able to distinguish the difference between a thug and a slug. How could you be so insensitive to this kids parents and family by making the statement, “Glad he died.” What honor is in that statement?You and plumber are the sterotypical PIGS that society has had enough of!! You should be ashamed! You serve your own and protect your own.
More police interaction (or brutality) does not keep a place from turning in to a ghetto. Look at Atlanta.
One other thought; Verdoni was not on patrol. He was on a hunt in a pair of sandles with a gun tucked in his waistband.
Where are all the other cops who want to stay annomonous who would like to chime in on this blog? I am sure there are plenty out there that actually follow the code who feel Verdoni’s actions were dispicable!!
How do we know that Mr. Badass himself wasn’t drinking that night? What person in their right mind (officer or not) would follow a kid and leave your wife and 4 month old ALONE because you are so worried for your life?
How do we actually know his head hit the ground? The medic didn’t look at him. Oh that’s right, ANOTHER officer did!!!!!!!
Joe the Plumber and John Doe, you assholes might be officers, and agree with what Verdoni did, but you don’t have a right to come on here and bash us for the way we feel, and then say you are happy this young man died. Yes he did a stupid thing, but think about what you did this weekend (I bet you did lots of stupid things too, maybe even forget to get your wife/mother a card today). Should you be shot because you made a mistake?
This is Venice we are talking about, not newtown, or somewhere that low life stealing crack addicted thugs live in. VENICE, the town where old people go to die, and we have nothing to do. So teenagers go to the beach, and then we get yelled at for being there past sunset. We walk the Avenue, and people give us dirty looks. We play stupid games, such as ding dong ditch, and get shot? Really now?
I guess what my officer family members say is true … if your gonna shoot someone, you better shoot to kill, not injury … since then it’s only YOUR side to tell.
The Spann family is still going through a rough time, and so is this whole community. There is no need for you asshole cops to make things worse. Its okay that you disagree with how we feel, but can’t we just leave it at that?
We (the people on this blog), NEVER ONCE bashed Verdoni or any cop for that matter. We simply stated our view and opinions, and I believe that is our right (but maybe now)
I thought Joe the Plumber was a jerk, but here we have John Doe who seems to be a bigger ass!!!! How could you say that you are glad a 20 year old kid is dead for doing ding dong ditch. Are you out of your mind!!!
And we wonder why most people don’t trust cops. Apart from having a bigger ego than their belly’s, they think everyone is guilty and everything THEY do is justified.
You didn’t know Tyler, he was a awesome kid he did not deserve this. He was not a criminal. So, let’s get something straight if you ring on my door bell that will give me the right to shoot you and kill you, it will be perfectly justified.
All I can say is, I hope you don’t loose someone close, a child,brother or sister in this way. THIS WAS SO OVER THE TOP BY ONE OF OUR FINEST!!
This is a great family he was a good kid. Unlike the cop involved Tyler will never get to tell his side. Karma’s a bitch!!!!!
LEAVE THIS BLOG TO PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE FAMILY AND HAVE POSITIVE MEMORIES. THIS IS HARD ENOUGH FOR THE FAMILY.
Hey glen,
A few things…
I am not hiding my identity…I figured most intelligent readers would have been able to infer that I am a Police Officer somewhere in the US. My apologies. I simply dont state where, due to the ramifications that I, as a police officer, would face, considering cops do not have the same freedom of speech as every other profession in the US.
Second. Are you a police officer? I assume not… How do you know what the protocol is for use of force. Do you even know how the use of force continuum works? Go google it, ill wait.
You dont need someone to use a gun on you, for you to be justified in using your gun on them. Police are allowed to go directly to Deadly Force if it is warranted. When someone is attempting to take your gun from you, that justifies DF.
BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION, you stated ” Pepper spray, tazer, baton? This asshole did not follow protocal.” and then “One other thought; Verdoni was not on patrol. He was on a hunt in a pair of sandles with a gun tucked in his waistband.”
So was this officer on patrol? Was he wearing his entire duty rig (gun belt) when he ran out of his house.. I would tend to say he just grabbed his gun. Therefore he didnt even have the ability to use OC spray, Baton, or a taser…(I dont even know if his department have tasers).
Again, tho you have a right to your opinion, as asinine and ignorant as it might be… there is a reason that you, and other liberals who believe “there baby boy” can “do no wrong”, and every person killed my the police was an angel…..don’t decide the fate of officers when they are involved in police shootings. They are educated judges/lawyers/doctors/LE Professionals. You have no idea about reality. And thats ok, it just means the PD that police ur streets are doing a good job and keeping u safe and sound with those glorious blinders on. Ignorance is bliss!
-John Doe
Lynn,
I believed this was an open forum/blog which was open to opinions. I did not realize it was a blog for the family to post positive memories…please direct me to where it states the above and i will stop posting immediately.
-JD
a response to lynns statement…broken down…
” Apart from having a bigger ego than their belly’s,”
-So mature, Cops are the only ones who are overweight… very intelligent statement.. lets have everyone post a pic of themself and see how accurate that is…. jackass…
” they think everyone is guilty and everything THEY do is justified.”
Abs
olutely not true.. i give everyone the benefit of the doubt…until the prove otherwise. Maybe if this guy showed the slightest bit of respect to the cop, he would be above ground and paying a 200 dollar ticket for harrasment.
“You didn’t know Tyler, he was a awesome kid he did not deserve this.”
First. Lets stop calling him a KID…HE WAS 20 Years old… we are not talking about a 12 year old….
“He was not a criminal.”
Actually, when you ring someones doorbell in an attempt to annoy, alarm or cause an inconvience to someone…. That is a CRIME and called Harasment…So TECHNICALLY, but public knowledge, he was a criminal. Do i believe he was a revolving felon…no absolutely not… But he was a 20 year old man playing ring and run…so unless he has a form of retardation…there is no excuse.
” So, let’s get something straight if you ring on my door bell that will give me the right to shoot you and kill you, it will be perfectly justified.”
Um, no. That is a homicide. You are going to jail… But if I DO ring your doorbell and then u chase after me…state your a police officer and to stop cause i am under arrest, and i began to fight you, and attempt to take your firearm away from you…then yes, please shoot me… Bc i deserved it..
“All I can say is, I hope you don’t loose someone close, a child,brother or sister in this way. THIS WAS SO OVER THE TOP BY ONE OF OUR FINEST!!
This is a great family he was a good kid. Unlike the cop involved Tyler will never get to tell his side. Karma’s a bitch!!!!!”
Lynn, i appreciate that…I hope i dont lose anyone close to me either over their stupidity. As I hope no ill will to you or any of your family or friends. Or anyone else on this board. I am one of those people that wish there was no violence out there. I love when i go home at night, and i didnt have to write a ticket, use handcuffs, make an arrest, use pepper spray, or pull my gun….or god forbid, kill someone. But then again, i am not naive.
-JD
JD, Joe the plumber, GOD, whatever you refer yourself as. The only ignorance on this blog was your ignorant righteous statement, “I’m glad the kid is dead”. I am not just running my mouth to try to make police look bad. I knew Tyler Aaron Spann. My children grew up with him. Yes, he did an immature thing. No, Verdoni was not in uniform. He ran out of his house in civilian cloths with a gun, nothing else. Because the officer was so pissed off, he did not grab his duty rig. It sounds like YOU need to get the full story before jumping on the side of the officer. So, because he did not grab his duty rig, that warrants the use of the gun and gun only? Bullshit!
You did not know Tyler. Much like everyone sterotyping you BULLY PIG COPS, you want to refer to a dead 20 year old as a perp, number, or just another lower life of society who is not a dignified, honorable man of the law.
Thanks for the education on law enforcenforcement. The community feels so much safer knowing we have armed men of the law who can use deadly force at their discretion. No, I am not a cop. I am the son of a former cop, former Councilman, Mayor, and candidate for US House of Representitives.
Tyler was a great kid, not a perp or number for you douchbags to polish your badge with. Your’e an insensitive prick!
As far as education goes, I assure you don’t want to go there with me. I know what Verdoni did in haste, pissed off, just grabbing his gun, and ending a 20 year old man’s life in his own driveway was against protocal, but the system will package it and wrap it the way they deem fit to justify this asshole’s action. You should get the full story, then come back with a justified shooting. Criminals will always be there regardless to what bad asses the local cops think they are. There is no dignity in your statements, and the more you talk, the more you show YOUR IGNORANCE!
An apology to Tyler’s family on this blog may be in order also for your ignorant statement. But then again, you’re a cop. You don’t have to because even when wrong, you are right!
P.S. I am a staunch Republican, not a Liberal. I don’t know what difference my affliation makes to seeing that justice is truly served. Cops don’t have freedom of speech? Give me a break! Try corporate America and their politics and come back and discuss freedom of speech.
Glen,
You’ve replaced my mama AND my daddy.
I love you!
Thanks for the support.
John Doe,
So mature of you saying “glad the man is dead” for playing ding dong ditch. And so apparent that you’re a cop by your insensitive remarks. I bet if it was a cops kid this had happened to. And a regular Jo chased them with a gun and shot them for do ding dong ditch the out come would be so different.
That cop was just pissed because his door bell got rang early hours of the morning. Yes, it would be annoying to most people. But would it be justifiable to shoot someone i don’t think so.
At the end of the day Verdoni will have to live with what he did, and like I said karma is a bitch!!!!
Nikki, Lia, Tamara, Ashley, and all the young adults who grew up with my kids in the safe town of Venice, I love you too!! As hurt as this community is, and how tender everyone’s feelings are; all we have to cling to is justice.
I am sure this trial will get buried in litigation, but we must remain strong and believe the system will do the right thing. Please believe there are good cops out there! I believe in all of you! Please remain strong! God bless!
GLEN FOR PRESIDENT!!!! I really don’t need to say anything else, you have said everything I was thinking. Thank you. Sounds like you and your family were close to Tyler, my sincerest sympathy for the senseless loss of his life. He had been at my Mom’s with my niece about a week before this happened and all my mom could say when she heard about this was that he was one of the nicest kids she had ever met, and that she will never forget his smile.
Going back to the one sentence i said…thats all you keep refering to….
I ADMITTED i was a cop ya jackass… Jeez… I cannot keep engaging this battle of wits when its so one sided. I am quite honestly bored…
The kid fucked up… He did a harmless prank and then decided to fight the officer… I didnt have all the facts, which i admitted to… I referred to what i thought were all the facts and asked u to verify…as i do not live in sarasota, not even florida. Like i said before, the 20 year old man, did a stupid thing.. and then rather than face a couple charges, he fought a cop. He knew he was a cop, the marked RMP was in the driveway of the place he played ring n run… the cop has had his house vandalized multiple times before this event…whether it was this guy tyler or not…who knows… bottom line… had he acted like a man AFTER he acted like a child…he would be alive today. Instead, Tyler MADE the officer take his life…he forced his hand… I dont care who you are…regardless of how minute the initial crime istelf is, the escalation to resisting arrest…and attemtping to take the cops gun…are u kidding? Should the officer had handed the gun to a drunk 20 year old and hope he is in fact the “good boy” you are all praising him to be…. wake up people… Everyone is so quick to judge the cops… i find it comical… (the judging, not this situation.) Good luck to the family…hopefully this can be a lesson learned to some of the friends of this kid. Maybe they will think twice about whos door they are knocking on…
-jd
JD, you said it. He knocked on the door of the devil. Says a lot.
Tyler was a fabulous young man, great student, captain of the wrestling team, loved by all parents in this community, polite, and very respectful. He made a bad decesion that night. Is harassing a misdemeanor or a felony? If you knew him and the close nit, crimeless town of Venice, you would not be so quick to take the side of the badge. Knowing him, I believe Verdoni’s story is a right out lie. Get off your pedistal because you feel above the society you apparently serve. Wake up people? You wake up! I’m still waiting to hear a practical response as to why he left his house without his duty rig? O, I forgot? He should have called an on duty cop. You say we are quick to judge the cops. You are too quick to defend. By your own admisson, you don’t know the facts. I assure you Tyler was not the kid who vandalized Verdoni’s house previously (once, not many times).
Not sure if you read all previous statements in this blog. Ty was 5’4″. Not exactly Brock Lesnar! His life was taken in his own driveway.
“Good luck to his family” is not an apology! One cop killed him, and two others pissed on his grave!
Tyler and Chris hadn’t lived in that neighborhood long enough to be responsible for the alleged previous vandalism. They moved in just a few weeks before this happened.
Tyler and Chris, the two kids who went to ALL THEIR neighbors with both their cell numbers, and work numbers, to let them know they just moved in, and were young kids. They said they would have some friends over some weekends, and if things got too loud for the neighbors, to please come over or call and they would tame it down.
My mothers backyard backs up to the corner of the property the lived on, and I can tell you that some nights, those boys did have friends over and had a good time, but they never did it past a decent hour. Midnight might have been the latest. Even with all their trucks and motorcycles, they were very respectful and thoughtful of the people.
He was INCHES from his house, all Tyler wanted to do was go home. The Spann family, and Venice in general isn’t going to accept that the cop was in the right, because if it was a citizen who shot and killed Ty, they would already be locked up without questions. Why does the cop get to have paid time off, get paid from another business he owns, gets to have cops stationed in front of his house (because he is so afraid).
I have been a Venice resident for my whole 22 years of life,and I can tell you from living on the Island for 20 years, I never locked my car doors, sometimes didn’t lock the front door. I used to take my dog from walks at midnight, because it’s not a town you worry about things happening to you in. I can tell you MANY MANY MANY times when my parents were away, the parties we had, and the stupid things we did. Ringing peoples door bells, leaving funny (not mean) notes of peoples cars and just being kids, because it is Venice after all, and we don’t have a lot of options.
I just don’t see how being killed is justified response for ringing someone’s door bell. I don’t see how having your life taken is a justified response for being a kid and being stupid. Tyler and Chris made a mistake by ringing his door bell, but they didn’t deserve this.
See folks I told you LEO’s would start to rally together and sob about how tough their job is and how no-one respects them. The thin blue line looks after its own. Although this shooting may be a very tough learning time for all the young people on here it will teach you one thing – to LEOs lying is a way of life for them and has been since the beginning of time. They are not to be trusted. They are not subject to any accountability and are employed by corrupt officials and a hierarchy that routinely cover up any abuse of power or violation of the law. They are arrogant, abusive, violent and completely believing that there is one law for them and one for the rest of us. There is no such thing as a good cop, because if a good cop covers up for a bad cop (the old thin blue line) then that makes him a bad cop too. Lastly john doe you hoped this incident would make some of the young people here think twice. Oh they will think twice alright, think twice before they trust an asshole like you, in blue and wearing a gun.
Joe the shitty ass plumber, and John Doe, I have a question for you both.
Is it not a known fact, and part of the oath you take that YOU ARE NOT suppose to, or should I say allowed to get involved in YOUR OWN PERSONAL disputes?
I think that everyone should just ignore all the negative comments for really, all they are trying to do is get a reaction out of everyone. The fact of the matter is….Tyler died because he did something stupid. Good people make bad decisions everyday, its coded into our DNA to Sin, that is how God created us. He wasnt a child molester, he wasnt a murderer, he was a young man acting stupid, hes not the first and he wont be the last.
The officer involved will have to live with the fact that he killed someones child, brother, grandson, and friend; for the rest of his life. (Killing a person has to take a toll on your brain.) This is a loss, loss situation and I think this blog has taken a turn for the negative. RIP Tyler, and to the officer….I feel bad for you, I would not want to live with the death of this young man on my conscious. God Bless.
Totally agree Mags! Nothing is going to bring Tyler back. I understand the officer will have to live with it for the rest of his life. That is not enough! He needs to be stripped of his badge and gun for justice to be served. If stupidity equaled death, we would be a very baron society. The system needs to send out a message that police brutality will not be tolerated! It’s pretty hard to ignore a comment such as “I’m glad the kid is dead!” Especially when it comes from a sworn officer of the law. This cannot be tolerated! Furthermore, Timsalad makes a great point. The LEOs will do whatever they can to defend their own even before they have all the facts of the situation.
Lia also makes a great point. Cops should not be policing their own personal matters.
Dearest Joe the Plumber and John Doe,
You’re both fucking retarded, moronic, egotistical, far too self-assured, high-horse opinionated, sorry ass bastards. That’s my opinion. I won’t take it back for anything. Not a damn thing. That being said, I also get to say it without fear of repercussion. Although, if you’d like to do something about my opinions, I’m happy to give you my full name, my IP address, my home address, mobile and home numbers, my work number and bra size. :)
You’re both a complete disgrace to the “badge” you wear. My uncle is one of the greatest cops that I’ve had the honor of knowing. He’s read this blog daily. And he thinks you two- again back to opinions- are total fuck ups that need mental help. In his words, “No town is safe if these two jack asses are in it!”
Why? Because he knows that you two would do the same as your asshole, POS brother, Verdoni. Grow some fucking balls, you cowards! We pay YOUR salary so that you can sit in your ugly ass cars, drive around breaking the law (yeah, you know you don’t follow speed limits, and you drive around typing on your computer) and waving your vienna sausage sized penis’ around because you think it gives you power over us. So, back to paying you. Since all of us working citizens have to make sure your lying, selfish, Super Man complex asses eat, the least you can do is get off the high horse and protect the citizens you swore to protect. Not SHOOT THEM!
I mean really? Saying he was a grown man? You didn’t know SHIT and still don’t. He was a baby. Tyler Spann was one of the kindest, most caring people I’ve ever had the priviledge of knowing. He was athletic and smart. But he was also a baby. Just because your BULL SHIT laws dictate that he’s an “ADULT” at age 18, does not mean he wasn’t just a kid.
Tell me something, douche sacks…did you have your shit together at 20?
That answer is no. Why? Because just by listening to you spew your acidic vomit all over this site, I realize neither of you have your shit straight or lives in order. You’re both still immature little cowards. Neither of you deserves to be what you are today. And that opinion is echoed by everyone here who adored Tyler, everyone here who believes in LAW (not YOUR law, but the REAL law), and my uncle himself who has 22 years on the force. It’s sad when “your own kind” wants to spit on you.
I refuse to hold back any longer. Neither of you care an ounce about a boy who lost his life and the family that was ripped apart in the process because a dumb ass pig used his gun as an extension of his penis. Which is exactly what it amounts to. A power trip, a pissing contest. “Hey boy, looky here what I got!”
I can assure you morons that never again will this neighborhood or anyone who now knows the story, at that, will look at a cop the same. You’ll all be mistrusted, glared at and made a mockery of at all costs. You’re hardly respected at all to begin with, and you’re making things worse for “your species” (Uncle excluded) by coming in here and spouting your self-righteous BS. If I knew where either of you were, I’d leave a sack of crap on your door mat, because that’s about all you’re worth.
Leave this forum alone. No one wants you here. You’re not welcome. Start your own damn Nazi’s band together website and go post there. You make me sick, and it’s a thought almost everyone else here has, but no one has the balls to say it. But this 26 year old, Sarasota county native, mother of 2 does. I’ll say it for all of us. You’re both pathetic. Should you like to hear it again, please re-read my post. You’re welcome.
Predictably the State Attorney General has ruled Verdoni has no case to answer. One law for them one law for the rest of us. Move along folks nothing to see here.
This is for John-Doe and The Plummer,
I just want you all to know that Tyler Spann was the sweetest friend anyone could have ever asked for. It hurts me to see the comments you’re making about him. I understand that you want to stick up for police officers and you think that you’re doing some riotous thing by bad mouthing Tyler, but trust me when I say you’re just digging yourself and even bigger hole.
The reason we’re all questioning that night is because Tyler was the least aggressive person anyone could have ever known. It was completely out of his nature to attack someone, especially a police officer, when he knew he was in the wrong. Did you ever stop to think that maybe Tyler was in fear for his life? Maybe the officer was threatening him? After all, he was probably heated from people vandalizing his property. I understand that, but does the possibility of vandalization really justify hunting someone down with a gun? Dwell on that for awhile…..
Also, even though i live 5 hours away, my parents were two of the first people on the scene that night. My father worked for VPD for 25 years and he never once felt the need to shoot someone. He may have pulled the gun once of twice in his career, but he never had to kill someone in cold blood. My dad said he loved his job in Venice because it was a town to raise your kids in and I’m sure thats what Verdoni was thinking as well. So why on earth would he think that this 5’4″ young male would pose a threat to his family and home from 3 blocks away. Venice, FL is one of the safest places to live, but honestly, if there are police officers/hotheads who don’t think before they act, then maybe I’m better off staying in the crime-filled streets of Tallahassee. I’d prefer to be mugged again then shot-to-death.
-Tallahassee-
The funny part of all this is, so many of the people who are reacting would shoot first and ask questions later. This is an unfortunate incident. The bottom line is, don’t go after a cop. Alcohol and kids don’t mix.
Sick of this, you obviously missed the whole point, did not read the facts, or don’t care to think maybe the cop was wrong. You did not read how the circumstances that lead to this could have been prevented, and the outrage in this officer policing a personal matter. You did not care to read about dozens/hundreds of individual testimonies on the character of Tyler Spann, (the cops refer to as the perp).I don’t believe for a minute Tyler went for the officer’s gun. Everyone in the community who knew him find it hard to believe. Agreed it is unfortunate; Agreed Tyler was being immature; Don’t agree in any way, shape, or form it can be justified with zero penalty at all towards the officer. I have a 20 year, & a 19 year old young adult child. I don’t worry about who they hang with, or what they get up to, because I feel they are good young adults and they have proved it. I do worry about any situation involving police. Cops have totally lost touch with the freedoms they are supposed to protect, especially when it comes to dealing with our youth! I don’t believe the lesson many of us will take from this is, “don’t go after the cops”.
Sick of this? How can you live with yourself? A young man is dead and all you have to say is that you’re sick of hearing about it. If you’re so sick of hearing about this then why don’t you stay out of it all together? Don’t go hunting down Tyler Spann blogs just to post that you can’t stand to see them anymore. If you had actually read what i said in my last post you would have noticed that my dad was a police officer for 25 years and even he wouldn’t attack an unarmed kid, oh wait adult. Maybe you, John-Doe and the plummer should have a talk and get your thoughts straight. Here you are calling Tyler a kid but your “friend” clearly stated that he was an adult. He was 20 years old and yes, he made a mistake, but so did Verdoni. So why is it that Tyler is the only one to pay for his mistakes?
I can see both sides of this tragic mess. For the most part, I do not know that the cop knew he was dealing with a “Kid” – by the way, a drunk 20-year old MAN. There was, as I understand it, a patrol car in the driveway. Surely the “boys” playing ring and run saw it and knew it was a cop’s residence. How stupid was that? How immature? Was the cop wrong to go after the men? I don’t think so. It was late, and dark, and they were on foot. A responding officer would probably not have been able to locate them. Do we know if this was the only time this cop was disturbed – he with a wife and newborn? This young, very strong man-child if he did jump the cop, and I believe there was a witness, acted in a very stupid manner. He was shot by a cop who had a gun he was trying to disarm. I think in the cop would probably agree the way things turned out, he would have acted in a different manner. If the man-child was alive and sober, he would undoubtedly agree that what he did was immature and stupid. I think it is time that people accepted the fact that an immature man-child got drunk and acted more like a ten year old well aware he was harrassing a cop, and the cop responded in a manner that was totally understandable. I think it time to put this terrible story to rest.
Mindy, if Tyler were your brother, your boyfriend, or a kid you knew through the community, you would agree this does not add up because you know Tyler’s character (alchohol or not). The police have fabricated witnesses. You say it was justified that the officer pursue him. I am still waiting for some practical response to, “where was his pepper spray, or tazer?” Why did this officer not have his duty rig? It’s easy for the police to put to rest, but it will be a long time for the community to accept we have armed killers who can murder, and there is nothing the law will do about it except polish their badges. Venice is not Detroit, Miami, or Atlanta.
Glen, I honestly do not know that we know all of the facts about how many times the cop & his family were bothered and if Verdoni knew he was dealing with a small 20-year old. I think there are a lot of unknowns that will remain so. A pound of flesh at this point will not bring this young man back, and it will not erase what I imagine is a terrible feeling by the cop. By the way, I am a Venice resident, so this town is mine too. I would like to think that it is a peaceful, calm place to live without young, drunk adults playing 10-year old type of games after midnight on a residential street. It also begs the question, were there other people harrassed by ring and run that night or only the Verdoni family? Knowing the answer to that might prove interesting. No, losing one’s life at any age is a terrible price to pay for a simple act of harassment. It is quite another thing IF it is true that this young man tackled the officer. Had Taylor planned on attending any type of school for higher education? Not that that means anything concerning that awful night, but I found myself wondering about the maturity in general of this young person off to live on his own who was drinking and ringing so late at night. An awful lot of people pro and con seem to know exactly what happened that night, and I for one think that no one really does. It was senseless and stupid and it is sad and heartbreaking, but it did not happen for no reason is all that I am saying. You cannot blame an entire profession or an entire county/town/city for the actions triggered by idiot behavior.
7 year old girl in Detroit shot dead in own home by Over The Top Cops. We see this in the paper everyday. Of course the police testimonials and what was caught on film are completely different stories. Maybe something will be done on this one. I feel for these true Cops fighting true crime like in Detroit! We don’t need these type of militant police in Venice. Having them will have no bearing on who decides to move in and commit crime in our community.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37191818/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/?GT1=43001
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37191818/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/?GT1=43001
listen john doe and joe the plumber fuck both you assholes. tyler was a great guy i played football with him and trust me if he tackled ur pussy ass butt buddy verdoni he woulda split his skull so for him to even attempt to say tyler tackled him and his head hit the ground is a fuckin crock maybe confronted ya tackled fuck no no cop in this nation coulda taken a hit from ty and not sustained a bruise. and when he was so harrassed and scared for his life why would he leave his family at home alone? mr macho man wanted to handle it himself instead of callin the local retards(vpd) ya real scared more like he wanted to captain save the day and all he did was ruin thousands of lives. he should have given himself more options than a gun. if you wanna be all tough grab some pepper spray and fight a blind man and whoop his ass instead of puttin 2 bulllets in him. every cop out there is a bitch behind the badge point blank ding dong ditch does not equal 1 contact shot and one from less than 6 inches man. the marine shoots enemies to kill cops shoot to protect….. how the fuck you protecting someone with a gun to their neck. end of story go fuck yourself
miss ya bud catch a big one and have it ready for us when i get to see you again
amen, Joe.
Ty will be there waiting for ya. :) For all of us.
Hindsight is 20/20. Everyone has eternity to tear a split second decision apart when only a few have but a fraction to make it. All of you go back and forth like children with the name calling and believe that your opinions are the right ones. Do we live in a country where you have the right to freedom of speech? Yes. Does that mean that what you say is what is right? No. Regardless of what any of you say there are 2 sides to this story and only 2 people were present for it (now only 1). If it goes how “side A” wants it to go, then “side B” will complain… and of course the other way around.
I will agree with those who stated that the 20 was not a kid. Was he acting like a kid? Yes. I will also agree with those who mentioned what 20 year old doesn’t goof around (or w.e was said along those lines, i just don’t feel like scrolling back up to look again). But on the same side of that argument, what 20 year old adult finds it funny to harass a cop? That was poor judgment on his behalf. No one is to blame for that decision but himself.
Was the cop right for shooting him? Who knows. Like I stated above, no one will ever know besides the 2 of them. Should the cop have been in the wrong then he will have to live with it for the rest of his life. If he was right, then the family/friends/public will have to eventually understand that their son/friend/fellow citizen made an error in judgment that cost him his life.
Everyone can say “My dad/brother/uncle/neighbor/kid i went to college and borrowed a pen from that one day’s roommate/friend was a cop but that does not give them any sort of knowledge of what it is like to be in the shoes of those who have to make those decisions.
I can say that I have and this brings me back to my first 2 sentences. At the age of 20 I was having to make decisions like that daily. Not on the mean streets of Venice, FL but rather in Iraq. Everything we did was analyzed after the fact by every person in the command, back home, and worldwide. I wasn’t out playing ding dong ditch (but then again they don’t have doorbells lol) at that age because I left those days in middle school and high school where they belong. After high school it was time to become a mature and productive member of this country (unfortunately those 2 traits are not common in the majority of our youth today).
Do I believe that some of the law enforcement personnel out there do have some sort of inner problem/weight issue/other issues? Yes. But no matter what the career field you take up, there will always be that 10% who shouldn’t be there. It doesn’t mean that you should bash the entire group for the actions/problems of a few. Look around in your own careers and look at those who you view as “worthless” or “shouldn’t be there” then think about how you would feel if you were classified as the same as them.
The end game is that every decision you make has consequences. Think before you act and should you decide to jump without looking, then be willing to accept the consequences. (this goes to both sides)
-USMC SS
(25yr old college student) [Mentioned so we have another perspective]
Really?, thanks for your service. I, like you, joined the military at 19 and served six years. I was part of Desert Storm. No doubt the military is a great buffer from childhood to adulthood.
All of your comments are true! Tyler was acting immature. I wish you could have met him. This was not some punk going nowhere. This was a young man with the world in front of him. He was an athlete, good student, from a great family, and no criminal record whatsoever from youth to adulthood. He did a silly thing that no doubt should not have ended in death.
I am still looking for JUST ONE person to give me a practical answer. The COP bashing only started on this blog after a few ignorant comments from the COPS who chimed in such as, “I’m glad the kid is dead!”
The ONE QUESTION, “Where was this officer’s duty rig” when he left his home to HUNT down the “perp”. No tazer, pepper spray, no baton. Being in the military, you know that protocal is paramount. We could go back and forth all day on this. If you knew Tyler, you would be as outraged as everyone on this blog. There is only one person alive who knows the truth. Him having to “live” with what he has done is not enough punishment. By not following protocal, he should at minimum be striped of his badge. To me it is the equivlance of a man who beats women. He can say sorry all day long, but he will do it again. We don’t need his kind patroling our streets with a gun, especially in Venice. No thank you!
I would like to say that I do not know Tyler Spann, or any of the people involved in this unfortunate incident.
I am not a resident of Florida, but do vacation in Venice whenever I have the opportunity, and it is a place I have come to love. I was in Venice when Tyler was killed and have been following this story ever since.
All indications are that Tyler was a wonderful young man, who used some bad judgement, and paid for it with his life. To Tyler’s family and those who loved him, I am so sorry for your loss.
The bigger tragedy here seems to be, in my opinion, the complete lack of justice and the big blue wall surrounding Officer Verdoni. A Sarasota County Sherrif’s Officer shoots an unarmed kid (yes, kid! his life had barely begun!) because of a game of ding dong ditch. Annoying, for sure. Did it warrant the death penalty? Hardly. An article in today’s Herald Tribune indicated that Venice Police Chief Williams deferred the investigation into Tyler’s death to the Sarasota County Sherrif’s Dept. because her dept. was busy investigating a murder that took place in Venice after Easter, the first murder in more than a decade.
First, Venice PD can’t handle two investigations? Really? So it is given to the very dept. that Verdoni works for? Seriously? Clearly this is a conflict of interest!
Second, when Sarasota County Sherrif’s Dept. conducted interrogations, they interrogated Verdoni last. You can look at the actual statements taken from Dr. Hicks, Christopher Hayes and Carlos Verdoni, they are on the internet.
They interviewed Dr. Hicks on 4/16/10 at 3:52AM and concluded at 4:05AM. He was asleep in his home, windows open, when he was awakened by the commotion outside.
Then they interviewed Cristopher Hayes at 5:08 AM and concluded at 5:31AM.
Last they interviewed Verdoni, 6:33 AM concluding at 6:56AM.
If I were conducting an unbiased investigation, I would have interviewed Verdoni first, then compared his statement with that of the witnesses.
By interviewing Verdoni last, his fellow officers know what he should and shouldn’t say and could insure that his statement coincides with the witnesses. One has to wonder if the order of the interrogations was deliberate.
Also, I would certainly think there is some protocol in place regarding off duty officers handling there own disputes. Yet, no interal affairs investigation is being conducting into Verdoni’s actions according to an article in the Herald Tribune. At the very least, I would think his job should come into question if not his freedom!!!
Officer Verdoni has proven that Florida is the Wild West where the Sherrif can go out with a gun and find justice.
Gov. Christ owes Tyler, a citizen of Florida, an independent investigation into his murder!