Did the City of Bradenton Cover Up Police Chief's Vehicle Striking Mother and Daughter after DeSoto Parade?

BRADENTON — A recent investigative report published by the Herald-Tribune reveals that Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan backed into a woman and her 4-year-old daughter while driving an unmarked SUV the night of the 2019 DeSoto Grand Parade.

Rita Bonnett was holding her child when she was struck by the Ford Explorer around 10 p.m. The pharmacist said she was able to throw her daughter from the path of the truck's rear wheels, which she said were moving at a high rate of speed. This left her unable to use her hands to brace her fall when she was hit, resulting in a traumatic brain injury that has led to seizures, migraines, and recurring nightmares about the incident.

The incident report, which a rookie officer wrote, did not include the police chief's name. A veteran sergeant approved it. The article says that both current Mayor Gene Brown (then a councilman) and then-mayor Wayne Poston knew about the incident and never informed the public. The Mayor serves as Bradenton's Police Commissioner, with the Chief of Police reporting directly to their office.

A settlement was reached in 2022 for an undisclosed amount. The matter does not seem to have ever been presented to the Bradenton City Council, which typically must approve such settlements. Former councilman Bill Sanders told the Herald-Tribune that he believes they were not informed because there was an attempt to cover up the incident for Bevans, who has been embroiled in a number of public scandals as chief.

It does not appear that the accident was ever the subject of an internal affairs investigation by the department, which is standard procedure when a law enforcement officer and/or their vehicle is involved in an accident.