‘Stand your ground’ law clears Florida man who fired 30 AR-15 rounds at pool cleaner: report

A Florida man who earlier this month opened fire with an AR-15 at a pool cleaner he mistook for an intruder will not face criminal charges, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Bradley Hocevar, 57 of Dunedin, was justified in firing 30 rounds at the pool cleaner under the state’s “stand your ground” law, The Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 33-year-old pool cleaner, identified as Karl Polek, was struck by shrapnel and glass. He was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, authorities said.

Deputies at around 9 p.m. June 15 responded to the unit block of Concord Drive on the report of a burglary in progress, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Through their investigation, detectives learned 33-year-old Karl Polek, who is employed by Bay Area Pool Techs, arrived to service the pool at 41 Concord Drive.

Officers determined that Jana Hocevar heard noises in the pool lanai and spotted a male on the pool deck she didn’t recognize.

She notified her husband Bradley Hocevar, who yelled at the suspected intruder to go away several times, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Jana Hocevar called 911 as her husband retrieved a rifle from their bedroom, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Bradley Hocevar opened fire at the pool cleaner after he and his wife saw a flashlight approaching their door, the Sheriff’s Office said.

“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 in a statement.

Read the full article here.