Neighborhood Policing Helps Crack Murder Case

The Bradenton Police Department recognized one of its neighborhood patrol officers as officer of the month for his expertise on his beat and his ability to easily recognize and name two murder suspects in a surveillance video.

Officer Adam Wollard who patrols the area around 1831 Manatee Avenue East, the Chevron Gas Station and Convenience Store where a New Year's Day shooting took place, responded to the scene and was able to identify two of the three suspects involved in the shooting after viewing the store’s video footage.

Paul Greico, 19, was killed in the gas station shooting on New Year's Day. A 15-year-old and 17-year-old were charged in the shooting death. Brandon Keisel was injured in the shooting as well.

on Jan. 2 and less than two weeks later. The State Attorney's Office will decide whether Rivers will be charged as an adult, said Dave Bristow, a spokeman for the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

"Officer Wollard is a proactive officer who routinely conducts juvenile probation curfew checks during his shift," said Lieutenant James Racky, who nominated Wollard for Officer of the month. "This activity is what led to Officer Wollard immediately recognizing two of the suspects, due to the fact that they were recently on his juvenile probation curfew checklist."  

While Wollard was at the crime scene, a resident he had previously met in the neighborhood came up to talk with him about the crime. The person gave Wollard the identity of the third suspect.

Wollard gave that information to Detectives. The suspect was arrested, and confessed to the shooting, along with implicating the two previously identified suspects. 

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"Officer Wollard's dedicated work ethic and proactive community involvement in his assigned zone led to the initial video identification, and resulted in a citizen providing the identity of the third suspect to him personally," Racky said. "Officer Wollard is a true asset to the City of Bradenton Police Department, and is deserving of the title of 'Officer of the Month.'"