Florida Man Sentenced for Waving Gun Uptown

BY MAGGIE CALLAGHAN

Miami University Journalism Student

A 20-year-old Bradenton, Florida man was recently sentenced to serve six months in jail for carrying a semi-automatic handgun in the Oxford uptown park area in August, according to court records.

Butler County Area I Judge Judge Robert H. Lyons sentenced Sammy King Sherood, to 180 days in jail, but suspended 160 days of the sentence. Lyons ordered Sherood to pay a $175 fine, a year on probation and to turn over his gun to authorities. Sherood pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon.

Charges for using a weapon while intoxicated, underage alcohol consumption and obstructing business were dismissed during the Aug. 31 hearing.

“Having a gun is uncommon in Oxford,” said Oxford Sgt. John Varley.

Oxford police responded to calls of a man waving a gun in the park area on August 27. They found Sherood sitting on the benches next to the Skyline Chili restaurant, according to the police report. One of the officers noted in the police report that they had talked to this same person only an hour before while outside of Brick Street bar.

The police report noted that when officers asked his name and why he was in Oxford, Sherood insisted that he was visiting from L.A.

“We regularly get people from all over come to Oxford,” said Varley. “It’s not uncommon to have visitors here from out of town.”

Oxford police are still unsure why Sherood was in Oxford.

“Sometimes, people are wandering and they figure this is a good area to hide,” said Varley. “It depends on their intentions but maybe the student population can help them in what those intentions are and because this is such a transient population, it is easy to go undetected.”

Cutline-Oxford police are still investigating why Sammy King Sherood, 20, was in Oxford and why he was waving a semi-automatic gun. The Florida native said he was visiting friends but it was never confirmed by police.