SARASOTA, Fla. — Police say a fight at a pizza place during Downtown Sarasota's New Year's Eve celebration led to a man getting shot and killed.
It happened just before 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 1 at 1429 Main Street, the address of a pizza restaurant.
Officers working the event say they responded to alerts at that location to find an adult man had been shot. He was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Police say when they approached a group of people on the same block, they saw 37-year-old Latoya Johnson hide a firearm in a planter. It was later recovered.
According to the department, video shows how the entire incident began — with a group of people at a table against the wall and the man who was shot sitting in the outside patio area with his family.
Investigators say one of the family members appeared intoxicated and tried not to get physically sick. When that person walked inside the restaurant, police say he appeared to get sick on one of the people sitting with Johnson.
This caused a fight to break out between the two groups, in which Johnson is seen holding a black firearm in her right hand as she kicked people on the ground, according to authorities. During the fight, officers say, the man hit Johnson on her head in an effort "to defend his family."
That's when police say Johnson turned to the man and shot him. The whole fight lasted just 37 seconds.
Johnson has been arrested and is facing charges of murder, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. She is being held at the Sarasota County Jail on a $1.1 million bond.
Police add that her Florida criminal history includes several felony convictions.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Sarasota Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS or online.
