It started with a Coke. Now a Bradenton man is guilty after fatal road rage shooting

A jury convicted a Bradenton man of manslaughter for a fatal shooting at a Manatee intersection that prosecutors say was “road rage.”

A Manatee County jury found Nicholas Anthony Koontz, 25, guilty in the 2021 shooting death of 31-year-old Timothy P. Andricks, who deputies found lying face down in the roadway at Seventh Avenue West and 50th Court West in Bradenton.

Koontz faced a charge of second-degree murder, but the jury convicted him on the lesser charge of manslaughter following a three-day trial that saw Koontz argue that he shot Andricks in self-defense.

A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date, according to court records.

The maximum penalty for first-degree manslaughter is 30 years in prison, according to Florida Statutes.

Prosecutors say a road rage altercation between the two men that may have started when Andricks cut Koontz off and threw a drink at his car.

After both men got out of their cars, detectives said Koontz shot Andricks 11 times, killing him.

Koontz told the court that he did shoot Andricks but argued that was in self-defense. He said Andricks threatened him and got out of his car to confront him, causing him to fear for his life.

“In that split second, in that life-or-death scenario, I believe if I didn’t act right then and there I was going to die, and my only option was to shoot in self-defense,” Koontz said.

But prosecutors argued that Koontz acted unreasonably and out of anger, describing the shooting as an act of “road rage” stemming from Andricks cutting Koontz off, setting off a chain of events that ultimately led to Andricks’ death.

“This defendant created this situation. He (Koontz) escalated this situation. He made it worse and then complained when it went foul,” said Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell. “And now he wants to object now that he’s escalated the situation up here and say it’s all self-defense.”

Thrown soda leads to road rage shooting

What exactly led to the shooting, which was caught on camera by a neighbor in the area, was the subject of debate between the prosecution and the defense.

On Oct. 21, 2021, Koontz said he was on his way home from work on Ninth Avenue West when Andricks pulled out in front of him, forcing him to swerve around him. As they approached the intersection of 51st Street West and Ninth Avenue West, Koontz said Andricks flipped him off and began yelling at him aggressively before throwing a McDonald’s cup at his car.

Koontz said the cup, which was full of Coca-Cola and ice, struck him in his temple and spilled soda all over his car.

Prosecutors questioned whether or not the cup hit Koontz and argued that there should have been soda all over the car if the situation happened the way Koontz described.

Photos taken by detectives with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office showed liquid in Koontz’s car.

Detectives also found a McDonald’s cup in the backseat floorboard of Koontz’s car and a lid and straw in the driver’s side floorboard with Andricks’ DNA on it.

After Andricks threw the soda, Koontz said Andricks told him that he “ought to kill him.”

Andricks then reversed his car and began heading in the other direction, at which point Koontz said he turned around to follow him so that he could get a look at his license plate and report him to law enforcement.

Was it self-defense?

But prosecutors argue that Koontz began following him because he was angry.

They pointed to a witness, a motorcyclist who was in the area, who said he saw a black SUV “running down a Toyota.” Koontz drove a black Volvo that day while prosecutors say Andricks drove a silver Toyota Camry.

Koontz said he followed Andricks until Andricks stopped in the middle of the road and got out of his vehicle.

A key piece of evidence in the trial centered around footage acquired from a neighbor’s doorbell video camera which appeared to show a silver Toyota Camry stopping abruptly at a stop sign while being followed by a black Volvo.

You could hear the Volvo’s tires screech to a halt as the SUV stopped behind Andricks’ car.

In the footage, a man who prosecutors say was Andricks got out of the Camry and approached Koontz, who shot him.

Koontz told the court he couldn’t see Andricks’ right arm when Andricks got out of the car and approached him.

But prosecutors dissected the footage multiple times throughout the trial, pointing to the fact that Andricks’ hands “were swinging” as he walked toward Koontz and were clearly visible.

“Is it reasonable to shoot somebody who has no weapon?” Assistant State Attorney Rebecca Freel said during closing arguments. “There was no basis to believe that Mr. Andricks had a gun.”

The neighbor whose camera captured the footage said he didn’t hear any words exchanged between the two men before the shooting happened.

The neighbor went over and checked on Andricks until deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrived.

Bradenton man guilty of manslaughter

Freel pointed out that Koontz never checked on Andricks after the shooting, instead opting to leave the scene.

Koontz told the court he headed back home because he was “in shock” and regrets not staying and calling the police.

When Koontz took the stand Wednesday to testify about how he says Andricks harassed him “unprovoked” leading up to the shooting, Freel repeatedly disputed these claims and quizzed him during cross-examination about whether he stopped at any point to call 911 if he was being harassed.

Koontz said he never called 911.

When asked if Koontz called 911 after the shooting, he again told Freel that he did not.

Koontz said he intended to call law enforcement after he got home, but when he got out of the shower, deputies were already at his door looking to question him.

Another doorbell video presented at trial by someone who lived in the area captured what prosecutors say was the sound of the shots fired by Koontz ringing out: 11 in total.

Eleven shell casings were found on the scene, according to detectives.

Detectives say they also found a Glock 26 handgun on Koontz’s dresser the day of the shooting after searching his home.

Whatever led to the shooting, Freel argued in closing that it wasn’t warranted and wasn’t in self-defense.

“Mr. Andricks probably shouldn’t have chucked that Coke, but he shouldn’t have died for it,” Freel said.

Circuit Court Judge Frederick Mercurio presided over the trial, which was held at the Manatee County Judicial Center in downtown Bradenton.