BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Cocoa police officer is being held in jail without bond after an hours-long standoff with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.
Patrick Michael Kelly, 39, faced a judge Thursday morning. Cocoa police confirmed to News 6 that Kelly is an officer.
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The sheriff’s office said deputies were called to a home on Framura Lane in Viera around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. Investigators said a woman called for help, saying that Kelly was threatening her and himself with a gun.
The SWAT team was called to negotiate with Kelly, according to a news release. During the standoff, deputies said Kelly fired his gun multiple times from inside the home. Pictures from the scene show several bullet holes in the window of a home, however, deputies said no one was hurt by the gunfire.
Records show Kelly was arrested just after 6 a.m.
In a statement, the Cocoa Police Department revealed that Kelly had previously been arrested on a charge of domestic violence battery in 2017, but was allowed to keep his job because the charges were dropped.
“While there are those in the community that will take this opportunity to attribute the actions of Officer Kelly to current departmental leadership, Officer Kelly was previously arrested back in 2017 for felony domestic violence battery. After those charges were dropped, Officer Kelly was allowed to remain with the department,” the statement reads.
The department added that he is now suspended without pay pending his termination. Kelly had been employed as a Cocoa police officer since December 2007, according to the statement.
Kelly faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm in public.
Through his attorney, the officer has already filed a plea of not guilty and request for a jury trial.
This is a developing story and will be updated as soon as additional information becomes available.
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