Girlfriend of suspect arrested after shooting of Battie brothers

Investigators have arrested the girlfriend of the suspect who shot brothers Tommie Battie IV and Brian Battie, a running back from Auburn.

Darryl Brookins Jr.’s girlfriend, Nicole Roberts, 29, was arrested Friday after surveillance footage allegedly showed her disposing of the gun used in the May 18 shooting and purchasing first aid supplies hours after the shooting, according to a police report filed in Sarasota County court.

Roberts is charged with aiding and abetting premeditated murder with a firearm, authorities said. Brookins was arrested by Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office officers on May 22. While a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office officer arrested Roberts, the shooting is being investigated jointly with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Tommie Battie IV and Brian Battie were in the parking lot of the Marrakech Hookah Lounge when the shooting occurred at 3:30 a.m. on May 18. Tommie Battie, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene. His brother Brian Battie, 22, was taken to a local hospital where he is in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. According to court documents, he has a “prognosis of permanent paralysis if he survives.”

‘Getting better’:Brian Battie’s condition is improving, he may be paralyzed, court documents say

The report contains details of the investigation

“Through the investigation, it was determined that Nicole Roberts knowingly aided and abetted Darryl Brookins to commit the crimes and performed several acts designed to encourage or assist Darryl Brookins in actually committing the crimes,” investigators said in a police report.

Investigators said they learned that a white Hyundai Elantra that Roberts had rented left the scene at 3:26 a.m. At 3:37 a.m., the car stopped in a development adjacent to the crime scene and in the direction where Brookins fled after the shooting, investigators said in the police report. The car headed north into Manatee County, where it eventually drove in circles through a waterfront development in Whitfield.

Affidavit regarding Brookins’ arrest:Tommie and Brian Battie involved in shootout with suspect

Investigators concluded that it “appeared they attempted to throw the weapon into a body of water,” the report said. “However, this was a densely populated residential area with no direct access to the shore, and it went unnoticed.”

Investigators said they later learned the car was located at the corner of Riverside Drive East and 24th Street NE in Bradenton at 4:06 a.m. after obtaining surveillance footage that showed the car parked along the Manatee River.

The footage shows a woman getting up from the driver’s seat, walking onto a dock behind 215 24th Street NE and throwing an object into the Manatee River. The woman’s stature and build in the footage matched Roberts’, investigators say.

Later that same day, the white Hyundai Elantra drove to a Walgreens store in Sarasota at 3155 University Parkway and a McDonald’s at 8494 Lockwood Ridge Road. Roberts was reportedly observed entering the Walgreens store and purchasing first aid supplies, including wound closure strips and hemostatic spray.

On May 30, detectives from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Underwater Recovery Unit went to 315 24th Street NE in Bradenton and found a 9mm Glock firearm in the same area where surveillance footage had shown Roberts discarding the weapon, the report said.

Shortly before the shooting, video footage from nearby businesses showed Brookins leaning against the store window as Tommie IV and Brian Battie walked toward him. Brookins is then seen pulling out a gun and shooting at the brothers. Both Tommie IV and Brian Battie returned fire. Brian Battie falls to the ground, while his brother falls to the ground shortly afterward.

Related Posts

4-year-old boy dies after incident at pool at North Providence home – Fall River Reporter

Firefighting planes and helicopters battle Arizona wildfire that has forced evacuations near Phoenix | World News

Two suspects arrested in Kansas in Texas murder case | State