Man takes plea deal, to testify against 2nd suspect in connection to Ackerman Park shooting
A 21-year-old Sarasota man has agreed to testify against another suspect in connection to a fatal shooting at Ackerman Park in December 2021 in exchange for lesser charges.
Kalvion Turner agreed to the plea agreement on Aug. 12 and will testify during Nyquan Priester's trial, according to court records. Priester, 21, was the second suspect arrested in connection to the shooting that killed an 18-year-old.
Priester is charged with murder in the second degree, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and altering, destroying or concealing physical evidence, according to court records.
There is no current trial date set for Priester's case, according to court records.
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As part of the plea agreement, Turner pleaded guilty to charges of giving false information to a law enforcement officer and obstruction. He received 12 months of probation for each count, which will run consecutively.
The terms of his probation include no drugs, alcohol and possession of firearms. Once Turner testifies truthfully against Priester, his probation will terminate, court documents state.
Turner will be asked to testify to information he provided while under oath during a June 20 proffer. Some of the information he will have to testify to includes, but isn't limited to, who was in the car that drove to Ackerman Park that night, Turner giving Priester a gun prior to going to the park, and what happened during the shooting.
Turner will also have to identify Priester in any photographs, videos or in-court appearances.
If Turner violates his requirement to testify truthfully when called upon, he will have to serve time, with the maximum sentence for both charges being 24 months in county jail.
What happened in Ackerman Park?
On Dec. 29, 2021, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a shooting in Ackerman Park just before 11 p.m.
When detectives arrived, they determined a large group of about 40 to 50 people had been gathered when gunshots started to ring in the air, according to previous reporting by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
An 18-year-old bystander was killed after a bullet hit him in the back. No other people were injured. The victim's identity was not released as his family opted to protect their privacy.
Following the shooting, detectives determined that approximately six shots were fired from the back seat of a gold Hyundai, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police identified four passengers, including Turner and Priester.
Turner, then 20, turned himself in voluntarily and was charged with one count of principal to second-degree murder with a firearm. A few days later, Priester was arrested in upstate New York near Utica, according to previous reports.
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Ackerman Park shooting: Sarasota man to testify against 2nd suspect
