SARASOTA, Fla. – A Sarasota man is facing fresh felony charges from his hospital bed after pointing a handgun at deputies during a confrontation last week.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced that Robert James Boast, 55, now faces a count of Felony Aggravated Assault in addition to his previous warrants. Boast remains in custody with no bond as detectives piece together the events of April 2.
The incident began at approximately 6:25 p.m. on Thursday when dispatchers received a 911 call regarding a disturbance. Four patrol deputies arrived at the 2100 block of 59th Street about nine minutes later, where they found Boast sitting behind a residence.
According to investigators, the situation escalated the moment deputies made contact. Authorities say Boast pulled a handgun from his waistband, prompting deputies to shout “clear verbal commands” for him to drop the weapon. Instead, Boast allegedly pointed the firearm toward one of the officers.
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Two deputies fired their agency-issued weapons in response to what the department described as an “immediate threat.”
Following the shots, deputies transitioned to life-saving measures, rendering first aid until Sarasota County Fire Rescue arrived on the scene. Boast was transported to a local hospital, where he was last listed in critical but stable condition.
At the time of the shooting, Boast was already wanted on an outstanding warrant from Manatee County for Violation of Pretrial Release related to a charge of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon.
Forensic teams have since executed a search warrant at the residence as part of the ongoing investigation. The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the encounter to contact the Criminal Investigations Section at (941) 861-4900.
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