Girlfriend of man accused in Brian Battie shooting arrested in Sarasota

Lina PortmanJune 6, 2024

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The girlfriend of suspected shooter Tommie Battie IV and Auburn running back Brian Battie was arrested by Sarasota County deputies in connection with the shooting for allegedly trying to hide the gun used in the shooting, according to court documents filed Monday.

According to the arrest affidavit, surveillance video at the scene of the May 18 shooting in Sarasota, where Tommie Battie IV was killed and Brian Battie seriously injured, showed a white Hyundai Elantra in the parking lot next to the location where the shooting took place. Officers later determined it was a car rented by Nicole Roberts, 29, the girlfriend of suspected shooter Darryl Brookins, the report states.

Investigators determined Roberts drove the car out of the parking lot in the same direction Brookins fled on foot. Then, the report said, Roberts headed north into Manatee County.

The report says investigators found surveillance video showing the Hyundai parked next to the Manatee River in Bradenton and a woman believed to be Roberts getting out of the driver's seat, walking onto a dock and throwing an object.

Later, when investigators went to the scene, they found a Glock 9mm firearm in the area.

After allegedly throwing the gun away, the woman driving the car continued north to Tampa, deputies said. At an apartment complex in Tampa, Brookins was seen getting out of the car with a white shirt wrapped around his head, according to the report.

Deputies report that Brookins first fired a gun at the Battie brothers as they were walking toward him toward 3444 17th St. in Sarasota. The report also says the Battie brothers fought back.

Brookins' attorney argued that the defendant acted in self-defense. Roberts pleaded not guilty Monday to his accessory charges.

Tommie Battie IV died at the scene from his injuries during the shooting. Brian Battie remains in hospital. Court documents in Brookins' filing indicate Brian Battie could suffer “permanent paralysis” if he survives his injuries.

At the SEC spring meetings last week in Destin, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said Battie “seems to get better every day.”