Hernando deputy shoots fire bomber
BROOKSVILLE –
Detectives said they were forced to take cover after a man emerged through the front door and chucked a homemade fire bomb at them.
In the suspect’s other hand was a nail gun, said Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis.
He pulled the trigger and a few nails whizzed toward the three detectives, one sergeant and one deputy standing on his property.
Nienhuis said the suspect, Brett D. Hattenbrun, missed his targets with the Molotov cocktail and nail gun and none of his men and women wound up injured.
“It was a minor miracle,” he said.
The suspect, however, was shot in the stomach, according to the sheriff’s office. He was transported to an area hospital, but injuries were not considered life threatening, said Cpl. Wendy McGinnis, a sheriff’s spokeswoman.
The detectives arrived shortly before 9:45 a.m. Tuesday at 7043 Owl Road to serve a search warrant. They knocked and Hattenbrun, after a short period of time, opened the door and immediately threw the flaming bottle, Nienhuis said.
The sheriff would not provide more details about the deputy-related shooting because the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.
The sheriff’s office is conducting its own internal affairs investigation. Bryan Faulkingham, the detective who shot Hattenbrun, has been placed on administrative leave with pay, which is agency policy, Nienhuis said.
Hattenbrun, 60, was charged with five counts of first-degree attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and three counts of throwing a destructive device with the intent to harm.
He remained under a doctor’s care as of Tuesday evening. McGinnis said he would be transported to the Hernando County Jail upon his release from the hospital.
Hattenbrun’s daughter-in-law, Joey Lynn Hattenbrun, 30, was found the night of Sept. 16 by her husband. She lay near her driveway in critical condition, deputies said.
She was airlifted to a Tampa-area hospital, but succumbed to her injuries. Detectives have ruled it a homicide.
Nienhuis declined to say whether the search warrant was related to the slaying, which occurred at 6492 Owl Road, a short walk from where Tuesday morning’s shooting took place.
Kathy Bobba, who lives down the street from Brett Hattenbrun’s house, told a News Channel 8 reporter she saw her neighbor getting arrested moments after hearing the gunshots.
“(We were) shocked by the whole thing … and shocked when we saw our neighbor being put in handcuffs,” Bobba said.
Several neighbors along and near Owl Road have remained nervous since the Sept. 16 killing. Some said they’ve anxiously awaited word about an arrest or at least a break in the case. Those fears rose Tuesday morning.
David Kesicki, who lives around the corner along Bluebird Avenue, said his wife was on the front porch when the search warrant was served. She heard about 10 gunshots.
She also noticed a group of deputies setting up a staging area in proximity to the Hattenbrun house before the shots ran out, Kesicki said.
The couple stood near the yellow tape hoping to find out more information.
“We’ve never had any problems in this neighborhood,” said Kesicki. “We’re just confused.”
He said they make sure to keep their alarm activated and doors locked, even when they’re home.
Nienhuis acknowledged the neighbors’ fears and their desire for more information, but said releasing too many details could endanger the investigation.
He said he hoped in the “not-so-distant future” he would discuss the homicide.
“We just have a lot of things to go through,” said Nienhuis.
Don and Linda Cook, who live next door to where Joey Hattenbrun was killed, stood in front of their driveway and watched as deputies cordoned off a section of the street and searched the area.
They were perplexed about living in between two scenes of violence that took place 11 days apart.
“Oh, God,” said Cook about 15 minutes after the shooting Tuesday. He stared blankly toward the house.
Cook said little else. He stood on the corner of his driveway and shook his head as more deputies arrived.
Besides Faulkingham, the others who were put in harm’s way Tuesday morning were Sgt. Phil Lakin, Detectives Jill Morrell and John Ellis and Deputy Rosemary DeJesus, according to the sheriff’s office.
Larry Turcotte, who lives around the corner from the shooting, said he had a long conversation Monday night with Hattenbrun.
“He walks around with a drink in his hand,” Turcotte said of his neighbor. “He’s always been a little bit of a rebel.”
The two families take part in a friendly competition every Halloween. They load up a couple trailers and drive up and down the rural roads of their subdivision and go door-to-door. They collect as much candy as possible.
Turcotte said he noticed something was off about Hattenbrun the last time he spoke to him. He understood why given the family tragedy that had taken place earlier in the month.
“He didn’t look good,” said Turcotte. “He was very pale. He almost looked sickly.”
Hattenbrun’s son was in even worse shape, he said. His father told Turcotte he was worried about him becoming overwhelmed with grief.
Both Hattenbrun and his son live in houses hidden behind a lot of trees, Turcotte said. He figured it was because they preferred more privacy.
He said the family has always been mild-mannered and kind. He’s never noticed any suspicious behavior patterns.
“They’re a very nice family,” Turcotte said. “You wouldn’t suspect something like this to happen.”
Nienhuis said the sheriff’s office responded once to the Hattenbrun house a couple years ago for a suicide threat. McGinnis said Hattenbrun wasn’t the person who made the threat.
News Channel 8 reporter Dave Kraut contributed to this story. [email protected] (352) 544-5283
