PALATKA, Fla. — A 25-year-old man was arrested Tuesday evening after an armed confrontation inside a Palatka hotel prompted an evacuation and a multi-agency response that ended with a negotiated surrender, authorities said.
William Bradley was taken into custody Jan. 20 and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and resisting an officer without violence, according to the Palatka Police Department.
Police said the incident began when a woman contacted officers and reported that Bradley had stayed with her in a hotel room the previous night and took her firearm while she was asleep. The victim told officers Bradley later confronted her with the gun and pointed it at her stomach. She left the hotel room and contacted law enforcement.
When officers arrived at the hotel, an employee told them Bradley had attempted to book additional nights and stated during the conversation that he had a firearm. Based on the reported threats, sheriff’s office deputies, SWAT, and a crisis negotiation team were called to the scene.
Authorities evacuated the hotel as a precaution after Bradley made several threats. Putnam County Fire Rescue and the Palatka Fire Department also responded and disconnected the building’s fire suppression system to allow SWAT access if needed.
Negotiators were able to make contact with Bradley by phone and persuaded him to surrender without further incident. Officers recovered a firearm inside the hotel room.
Bradley was taken to the Palatka Police Department for questioning and then transported to the Putnam County Jail. Authorities said Bradley became violent during the booking process and bit two corrections deputies on the hand and another deputy once. Additional charges are pending.
Bradley is being held without bond. Police credited the coordinated response between law enforcement, fire rescue, SWAT, and negotiators for resolving the incident without injuries to the public.
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