WILTON MANORS, Fla. — Wilton Manors residents are upset after they were left with property damage following a police shooting.
Their vehicle was left riddled with bullets after officers said they were forced to fire on an armed man next door, but now the residents want to know who is going to pay for those damages.
The shooting occurred on July 2 in the area of Northeast 26th Street and North Andrews Avenue.
Wilton Manors police said their officers were forced to fire on Larry Stroud after he allegedly answered his door carrying a gun.
While he remains in the hospital being treated for injuries after being shot 9 times, his next-door neighbor, Gregg Kodelman, was left with damage to his SUV.
“While I am making the coffee, I hear 12 to 15 shots,” said Kodelman. “Two bullet holes, one in the top and one in the bottom. One came out through the armrest, went through the passenger seat.”
While damages don’t appear to be that severe, the cost to make the necessary repairs isn’t low.
“The estimate is $8,200 and could go up to $15,000 depending on the electronics,” he said.
It’s a cost Kodelman says the city should pay for, but after reaching out and presenting the estimate to Winton Manors, he and his partner Steve were presented with a letter informing them their loss is not covered, and the coverage was respectfully declined.
A claims adjuster for the city wrote that damage resulting from law enforcement activities is excluded.
“As of yesterday, they called me and said you need to call our attorney and you might want to hire a lawyer,” Kodelman said, something he feels he shouldn’t have to do because he did nothing wrong.
His message to the city is pretty straightforward.
“Step up, own what you did,” he said. “It’s not my fault.”
Local 10 News reached out to the city of Wilton Manors as well to find out more about why this type of damage is not covered and were told to contact the police department, which we did.
We are still waiting to hear back as of the time of this story’s publishing.
While waiting, the city reached back out with the following statement:
“The city does not determine which claims are covered and which are not. That decision is solely made by the Florida League of Cities (the city is insured through FLC). In this case, the FLC reviewed the claim and made a determination that damages arising from law enforcement activity are not covered. The homeowner was notified of this decision.”
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