Cocoa police officer arrested; shot multiple rounds while barricaded following domestic violence incident
A 39-year-old Cocoa police officer was arrested in Viera early Thursday morning on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and discharging a firearm in public after barricading himself in his home following a domestic violence incident with another officer, the sheriff's office said.
Patrick Kelly, who has been a Cocoa officer since 2007, was booked into the Brevard County Jail Thursday on no bond, according to an arrest affidavit, though his information did not appear in the Brevard County Sheriff's Office's booking system Thursday morning.
Brevard County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to Kelly's home in Viera off Framura Lane at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday after a female Cocoa Police officer who also lived at the residence reported that Kelly had threatened her with a firearm and was going through an "emotional crisis," according to a statement by BCSO spokesperson Tod Goodyear.
The female officer fled the home and told deputies that Kelly had threatened to hurt her, himself and responding law enforcement, and that he was armed and barricaded inside the home, Goodyear said.
During negotiations with BCSO's SWAT team, Kelly fired multiple rounds inside the home, though no one was hurt, Goodyear said. Kelly eventually exited the home after several hours "without further incident," Goodyear said.
Kelly was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, according to his arrest affidavit. Both charges were domestic violence-related, the affidavit said.
Cocoa Police Chief Evander Collier IV said the department was saddened by the incident and that Kelly's actions did not represent the department.
"We are grateful for the quick and professional response from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in facilitating a peaceful resolution of the standoff and we will move forward by providing support of the Cocoa police officer and victim who shared the home with Officer Kelly," Collier said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
In 2017, Kelly was arrested by BCSO on a charge of domestic battery by strangulation after an argument with his then-girlfriend at her Merritt Island home. Kelly told deputies that during the argument, he had grabbed the woman by her neck and choked her. The charge was disposed by the prosecutor.
Collier brought up Kelly's former arrest, saying, "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."
Mike Canteloupe was police chief at the time. Collier was sworn in as chief in May 2021.
Collier added that though Kelly was allowed to remain at the department after the 2017 charges were dropped, he has been suspended without pay pending termination.
Finch Walker is a breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cocoa officer arrested after domestic violence incident and barricading himself in home
