Bond set at $2 million for suspect in shooting of Sanibel police officer
A man accused of shooting and wounding a Sanibel police officer and then exchanging gunfire with officers attempting to apprehend him is being held on $2 million bond.
Jon Webster Hay, 49, of 1476 Sand Castle Road, had his first court appearance Tuesday. He is facing a charge of attempted homicide (murder first degree premeditated).
Police say Hay drove by a traffic stop Sunday evening and shot the officer writing a citation. He then fired an AK-15 style rifle multiple times at officers who attempted to stop his van as he tried to leave the island and then made his way back toward his Sanibel home.
Two police cars were stuck with bullets but no other officers were hit.
The injured officer, Jarred Ciccone, was taken to the hospital. He has since been released.
“The bond is set at $2 million. He can post 10 percent or pledge collateral. If he does, he is required to wear a GPS and surrender all firearms before he is to be released,” said Assistant State Attorney Rich Montecalvo.
As of late Tuesday, Hay remained in the Lee County Jail.
According to the Florida Department Law Enforcement, at approximately 10:06 p.m. Sunday, Special Agent Charles Beatty was dispatched to the island to investigate the shooting at the request of the Sanibel Police Department.
According Hay’s FDLE?arrest report, Ciccone, while on “uniformed marked patrol” was conducting a traffic stop in the area of 2330 Periwinkle Way at approximately 7:49 p.m. A gray van passed by and shot Ciccone, striking him once in the upper body. Ciccone radioed that shots had been fired and provided a vehicle description, where the shots came from, and the direction the van was traveling. He also indicated that the driver was a male.
The FDLE report states that Officer Christopher Dowaliby, also on uniformed marked patrol, heard the call when he was at 979 E. Gulf Drive. The officer turned west onto Periwinkle Way and located a gray/green van while near 1203 Periwinkle Way traveling eastbound. Dowaliby turned around and got behind the van with his sirens and lights flashing.
The “van refused to stop traveling off Sanibel Island before turning back around and reentering Sanibel Island,” according to FDLE.
Sanibel Police Chief James Phillips said the Sanibel Causeway was closed down for about an hour.
“It was a very fluid scene,” he said. “The initial slow speed chase went out to the causeway.”
Phillips said they secured a larger perimeter and worked it down in size.
Dowaliby continued to pursue the van until it stopped on Sand Castle Road, the FDLE report states. The officer saw a man exit the vehicle, then fire several shots at him with what looked like a rifle. Dowaliby took cover while officers returned fire.
Another Sanibel officer, Chad Maik, witnessed the man exit the driver’s door and open fire with an AR-15 style rifle.
The FDLE report states that both of the Sanibel officers’ vehicles were struck by gunfire and approximately 14 spent AR-15 rounds were on the ground.
A short time later Hay was located at his residence, 1476 Sand Castle Road, and detained. The van was also located at the residence. Hay was transported to Lee Memorial Hospital by paramedics with an injury to his back. At 10:50 p.m. Hay was placed under arrest for attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and transported to the Lee County Jail.
Phillips said his officers did an outstanding job.
“I am very proud of all of them,” he said.
Phillips said their basic instincts took over and the officers responded with appropriate self-defense. He said with all of the training the officers have received, they “responded absolutely appropriately and correctly.”
Paperwork from the Sanibel Police Department shows that in a span of 10 years, Hay has had 15 interactions with Sanibel police. Occurrences include a concern that someone would come and take his belongings; speeding; Hay’s vehicle being parked at Bailey’s beach access late at night; Hay requesting area checks because he felt his house was being watched; a complaint that someone hacked his computer; a complaint that he is the victim of a past occurred sex crime; possible credit card fraud against him and complaint that people have been trying to get into his house and leaving syringes in his lawn.
To make residents aware of the shooting that occurred Sunday night, Sanibel used its CodeRED system, automated emergency notification system. According to City Manager Judie Zimomra, this is the first time the city has used its CodeRED system for a shooting.
“We were able to call 479 homes in the Dunes subdivision in seven minutes; 78 percent of the messages got through. With the system, one thing we can do is isolate an area geographically. By then, we knew the person lived in the Dunes and was in the house, so we were able to, with a computer, draw a box around the Dunes and get the message to the 479 people in the Dunes. We were able to give them the all clear in an even shorter amount of time because the message was a little shorter. The feedback on that (CodeRED) has been extremely positive from people,” Zimomra said.
Phillips said the city manager and the entire city came together.
“It’s all hands on deck when something like this happens. We have great leadership within the city. The city manager makes things easy to do here,” he said.
Ciccone has since been released from Lee County Memorial Hospital after being treated for his injuries.
Phillips said Ciccone is doing well and seems to be in really good spirits. He said the other two officers are also doing OK.
Ciccone, 43, has worked with the Sanibel Police Department since Jan. 8, 2007.
He was issued a Life Saving Award in September 2007 when he successfully interceded in an attempted suicide situation and then presented the Phoenix Life Saving Award in 2015 when he administered AED and CPR to an unresponsive female at an on-Island resort and saved her life.
“Officer Ciccone has completed special advanced courses, which qualify him for senior officer status. He is also regularly recognized with perfect attendance awards,” a release from the city stated.
With the outpouring of support from the community, the Sanibel City Employee Assistant Fund, arranged for Ciccone, is being coordinated by the City of Sanibel and F.I.S.H.
F.I.S.H. President and CEO Maggi Feiner said F.I.S.H. opened the fund several years ago after the city approached them. She said since city employees are not exempt from what’s going on in the world, the fund was opened to provide assistance for city employees experiencing a traumatic health and financial issues.
“We have received several phone calls and some people have stopped by,” Feiner said of those who wanted to make a donation to the fund for Ciccone. “It’s a community that takes care of each other. The outpouring is wonderful. Sanibel and Captiva are very special in pulling together this way.”
Those who would like to contribute to the fund can make a donation to the City of Sanibel Employee Assistance Fund to F.I.S.H., 2430- B Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957. Checks should be made to F.I.S.H. of SanCap with “Officer Ciccone benefit” in the memo line. Individuals can also call F.I.S.H. at (239) 472-4775 and make a credit card donation.
“Sanibel is a great place and the residents here are unbelievable. They are very supportive of us and they really appreciate us,” Phillips said. “There is no better place.”
Feiner said they are waiting to see what Ciccone’s needs might be.
“We are in the beginning process and don’t know what is coming down the road,” she said.