Tampa Bay briefs

By Times staff writers

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 14, 2000

Man shot outside Largo bar

LARGO -- A Largo man was arrested early Sunday after a scuffle at Boomerz led him to accidentally shoot a cook at the bar at 6990 Seminole Blvd., police say.

The man, Wade Hayes, 35, of 2115 E Bay Drive, No. 5, was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault, one charge of carrying a concealed firearm and one count of culpable negligence.

Hayes shot James Sherman, 26, of 5728 115th Ave. N in Pinellas Park, while Sherman was outside waiting for a ride home, sheriff's spokesman Greg Tita said. Sherman was shot in the right knee and was in stable condition after surgery Sunday morning.

According to arrest affidavits, Hayes was being escorted from the bar when he pulled a 9-millimeter handgun from his waistband, prompting a struggle between him and one of the men escorting him from the bar. During the struggle, the gun fired, striking Sherman.

Hayes is being held at the Pinellas County Jail on $105,500 bail.

Inmate may have tried to hang self, authorities say

LAND O'LAKES -- An officer at the Pasco County jail in Land O'Lakes found a prisoner bleeding in his cell Sunday morning, apparently after the inmate tried to hang himself, a spokesman reported. Nine hours later, in the jail medical wing, the prisoner lapsed into unconsciousness. A jail officer on routine morning patrol found Arthur Matthew "Anna" Connelly, 43, of Spring Hillon his bunk and bleeding from a cut near his left eye, spokesman Kevin Doll reported. Jail officers took Connelly to the medical wing where he was conscious and appeared in good health Sunday until he was discovered unconscious about 3:40 p.m. Connelly was taken by a county emergency rescue crew to Pasco Community Hospital where he was being treated Sunday afternoon.

Playhouse fire victims' condition unchanged

TAMPA -- Three children who were severely burned in a playhouse fire they set Saturday night were still in serious condition Sunday night in the burn unit of Tampa General Hospital.

Ten-year-olds Derek Porter-Hall and Dorsey Guest, along with their 9-year-old friend, Courtney Smith, suffered second- and third-degree burns over one-third of their bodies after they started a fire with rags, a flammable liquid and a cigarette lighter in one corner of their playhouse.

The children told Derek's mother that they were playing campfire. A neighbor put out the fire in the playhouse using a garden hose.

Derek, Dorsey and Courtney were upgraded from critical to serious condition late Saturday.

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