DUNEDIN, Fla. — A Florida homeowner who fired 30 rounds from his AR-15 at his pool cleaner, whom he mistakenly believed was an intruder, will not face charges, authorities said Monday.
During a news conference on Monday, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said that Bradley Hocevar, 57, of Dunedin, will not be charged for firing at Karl Polek, 33, on June 15, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Hocevar and his wife were watching a movie at their home at about 9 p.m. EDT on June 15, when Jana Hocevar, 43, said she heard noises coming from their lanai, Gualtieri said.
“LAWFUL BUT AWFUL”: #Dunedin homeowner won’t face charges after firing 30 shots from an AR-15 at a pool cleaner on his patio. Must-see home security video and 911 recording show the chaos as it unfolds. (NOTE: this is edited down for Twitter. Full story on @FOX13News.) pic.twitter.com/u6CftH5sTF
— Aaron Mesmer FOX 13 (@AaronMesmer) June 26, 2023
Polek, 33, of Port Richey, who is employed by Bay Area Pool Techs, arrived to service the pool, according to the sheriff.
Gualtieri said the couple became concerned because no one was supposed to be at their home that time of night, WFTS-TV reported. The sheriff said that footage from the pool deck went to retrieve a flashlight from his truck while Bradley Hocevar yelled at him.
Jana Hocevar then called 911 while her husband retrieved the AR-15 from their bedroom, the Times reported.
Polek, meanwhile, used his flashlight to fill out paperwork and then turned toward the house to place the papers by a sliding glass door, according to the newspaper.
Gualtieri said that when Bradley Hocevar saw the flashlight moving toward his house, he fired two rounds toward the pool worker.
After about 47 seconds, investigators said that Bradley Hocevar fired 28 more rounds, WTVT reported.
Polek was injured by splintered glass from the gunfire and was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries, according to the television station. He was not struck by any gunfire, the Times reported.
The couple told investigators that they normally have their pool serviced on Thursday or Friday afternoon, WTVT reported. Deputies said that Polek admitted he arrived late to the Hocevar residence because he was behind schedule, according to the television station.
“In hindsight, he should have probably let them know he was coming at 9 o’clock at night, yet he made no effort to contact them at all,” Gualtieri said.
The sheriff said that based on the evidence, Bradley Hocevar was within his rights under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law to shoot toward the pool technician.
“There was no crime committed,” Gualtieri said. “This is one of those situations we call lawful but awful.”
