Ryan Centofanti, whose breath test produced readings of .196 and .178 percent in breath-alcohol volume after he was arrested for drunk driving, also faces a felony charge for allegedly firing an AR-15-type rifle repeatedly, and seemingly at random, as he drove down State Road A1A from Beverly Beach into Flagler Beach early this morning (Jan. 17). No one was reported hurt. The legal limit for driving is 0.08 percent.
Centofanti, 35, who told authorities that he worked as a paramedic in Volusia County and owns a gun business, attributed the flashes from his car that witnesses and a police officer saw to the light flashing on his phone when he gets a text. A police officer told him he has the same phone, and that it “did not light up A1A when it rang.”
Calls to 911 were reported a little after 2:30 a.m. in reference to the incident in the area of Island Estates. A caller reported hearing shots in the backyard. Seconds later another caller said shots had been fired in the 3500 block of North Oceanshore Boulevard, according Centofanti’s arrest report. Yet another caller reported seeing a vehicle drive by and “flashes” coming from the vehicle.
A Flagler Beach police officer was positioned in the 2100 block of North Oceanshore when he saw the black Chevrolet SUV that turned out to be Centofanti’s cross into the city.
“I turned around on the vehicle, that was several blocks south of my location moving at a fast pace,” the officer reported. “I attempted to catch up to the vehicle, at which time I observed several flashes emitting out of the driver side window. I could not identify what the flashes were at that time; however, as I got closer and the flashes continued I could through my training and experience identify the flashes as muzzle flash from a firearm.” Centofanti then made a right on North 16th Street where the officer activated the patrol car’s emergency lights and executed a traffic stop. Centofanti pulled over.
The officer drew his Glock sidearm and approached the vehicle, with another officer at the scene, ordering Centofanti out of the SUV. Centofanti said he was having trouble hearing orders. The two officers began shouting their orders to have him kneel, then secured. Centofanti’s hearing would become an issue officers and, later, sheriff’s deputies would keep track of, as they suspected that he had trouble hearing at first possibly because of the noise of the rifle firing rounds from the car moments earlier. At the county jail later, Centofanti had trouble hearing.
As officers opened the doors of the vehicle, “a strong odor of what I identified through my training and experience as burnt gun powder” emanated, according to the arrest report. “I also was able to observe several spent .223 caliber shell casing throughout the vehicle.” The “AR-15 type rifle” was in the backseat of the vehicle. As a sergeant removed the weapon for safety reasons, “he described the weapon as being very hot and believed the gun was used recently,” the report states. “It should be noted that the interior temperature of the car was not hot and the A/C dial of the vehicle was approximately half in the heat area. This temperature would not be hot enough to make the firearm feel as hot as it did.”
The sheriff’s office was to take over the investigation since it had been reported in the unincorporated area of the county, though Flagler Beach police filled out a detailed report.
After hearing and waiving his Miranda warning, Centofanti said he didn’t know why there’d been reports of flashes from his car and gave his explanation about the text signal. He explained the shell casings by saying he was in firearm sales. As for the smell of gunpowder, he said he always smelled that way. He also claimed to have always had a hearing problem, though it was not documented at his job as a paramedic. When law enforcement contacted Volusia County Emergency Medical Service to verify his employment, the agency could not confirm that he worked there, and requested his credentials back. (He is not an employee at AdventHealth Palm Coast, either.)
Officers recovered 21 spent shell casings from within the vehicle, some of them on the driver’s side floor board, one under the driver’s seat, some under the front passenger seat, and so on.
Centofanti, a deputy who conducted his field sobriety tests reported, observed that “he had an odor of an alcoholic beverage admitting from his person/breath, watery bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.” Centofanti attributed his slurred speech to his hearing conditions. He then missed to adequately perform most parts of the exercises. The deputy located one receipt on Centofanti from from Finn’s Beachside Pub for a $10 Bazel Haydens on the rocks.
At the county jail, Centofanti was under observation for 20 minutes, and just after 8:25 a.m., or four hours after he was pulled over, he was administered the breath alcohol concentration test.
Centofanti, of 166 North Starling Drive in Palm Coast, was booked at the county jail on a misdemeanor charge of drunk driving and a felony charge of discharging a firearm from a vehicle. He remained at the jail this morning on $6,000 bond.
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Dave says
Another good guy with a gun doing dumb dangerous stuff.
Let’s ban all semi automatic weapons, including all pistols and long guns.
And let’s make sure to do away with concealed carry completely.
Whoa says
This guy needs more charges! Every license he has should be suspended. Every type of supervision there is he needs to be on it.
People die for less, and this inebriated clown recklessly and lawleslsy fires off assault rounds like he’s at the range. I hope they confiscate every bullet his has.
you cray says
wut?
Rob says
One stupid person can’t be the cause of millions of good and responsible gun owners to lose their second amendment rights. Carried a firearm my entire life due to the business I was in, never did anything stupid like this moron!
Land of no turn signals says says
Another good guy?Really?He gives responsible Gun owners a bad rap.Lock him up for a while.
lnzc says
Don’t take the guns away,take the alcohol away
The gun didn’t do the shooting,the drunk did
ASf says
The internet lists Centofanti as having been terminated from Volusia County’s Paramedic team in 2017 ad his FB page denotes him as being employed as a Paramedic by Adventhealth Palm Coast.
Steve says
Its the Wild Wild West. Not too bright . He doesnt need to own any firearms. Wtf smh
Outsider says
Let’s not forget he was drinking while driving so we should also ban cars as well. Use of a firearm while intoxicated is also a chargeable offense.
deb says
Take this poor excuse for a gun owner and place him in uniform and send him to Iraq and let him set there. Maybe he will respect that gun a little more.
Pop says
He should be charged with domestic terrorism. Could have killed someone’s child. I think he should be put down.
Thomas Jason Miller says
What is an assault round?
wow says
But one immigrant who commits a crime means all immigrants are criminals, right?
palmcoaster says
A nuts alcoholic paramedic? And I agree with the Dave above. In January 10 at 3.29 PM in Florida Park Drive heading north also was a white guy standing thru the sun roof of his 2006 0r 2008 black or dark grey Hyundai Sonata with very fancy thin wheel caps, aiming a real or fake rifle to neighbors standing on the east driveways while going by speeding over the 40 mph. We neighbors along sheriff sure are looking to identify these punks as at least were two. Looking for its license plate…sooner or later will hit bingo!
Dennis says
My phone lights up when it rings also. I have it set up that way. That’s a pretty crummy statement fir a cop to make. By by gun business buddy.
SueAnn says
I’m wondering why 4 hours passed before the alcohol test. Imagine what the levels must have been.
Agkistrodon says
You see folks Dave is okay with the guy driving drunk, he just has an issue with firearms. Trying placing blame on the individual at fault, not the inanimate object.
Tillerman says
Tell that to the family of the 92 year old woman in New York yesterday who was raped and strangled to death by an illegal alien that had just been set free from jail because of the NO BOND law now in effect in New York…
Dave says
Are you suggesting in this circumstance it was the car that was dangerous ,maybe the man’s can of beer or his slurred speech?
Hmm , or could the ar 15 bullets have been the danger? If there was no gun there would have been no incident
Outsider says
Dave, it seems you don’t view drunk driving as a problem. Interesting.
Miss e says
He doesnt work for VCEMS just to be clear…
Agkistrodon says
If there was no booze……..if there was no cars…….and if you keep making excuses for individuals you may not like the final outcome. I believe in Accountability for one’s actions, Not blaming an object that has no decision making capabilities. You seem to have all the excuses, but zero of the answers.
ASF says
No. it appears that he works for AdventHealth Palm Coast. Or did, until now.
hawkeye says
you hit the nail on the head!!!
Dave says
Remove the gun from this situation and all you have is a guy driving down the road.
No arrests , no story in the paper, no ones lives at risk.
He was not driving eradicaly, it was the war machine that he possessed that brought upon the danger.
Stop buying selling and owning war machines.
Hiya says
This is true. He hasn’t worked at Volusia county ems for over two years.
Nefter Quaguletz says
That was beautiful.
And it’s Basil Hayden.
Jim Bob Boy says
Spoons and forks make people gain weight and cause obesity which leads to death. Let’s ban all spoons and forks.