No bail for suspect in Tampa police officers' slayings

As two fallen Tampa police officers were eulogized at a funeral across town, the man accused in their deaths was denied bail at his first court appearance this morning.

Dontae Morris stood shackled and silent during the brief hearing.

Assistant Public Defender Charles Traina said his office has a conflict of interest in representing Morris because it represents Cortnee Nicole Brantley, who also faces charges in the case.

Another attorney will be appointed for Morris, 24, who was arrested late Friday after a four-day manhunt. He also faces a first-degree murder charge in the May shooting death of a Tampa man.

Morris was brought into a room at the county jail for the court hearing, which was held via closed circuit television. He was the last of the dozens of inmates called for the hearing.

The room was cleared for Morris and the jail was placed on lockdown while he was taken back and forth from his maximum-security cell.

Morris surrendered to authorities about 10 p.m. Friday, an hour after the wake for Officers Dave Curtis and Jeff Kocab had ended. Officers from more than 15 local, state and federal agencies had searched for him since the shooting early Tuesday in East Tampa.

Police Chief Jane Castor said Morris surrendered without incident.

"He actually was cooperative in the fashion of not being belligerent but not to the point of giving us information," she said.

Standing outside Idlewild Baptist Church as this morning's funeral services were set to begin, Castor said: "We will get back to our day-to-day business, but we will never forget what has happened in the last five days.

"My focus right now is providing the tribute that Dave and Jeff deserve," she said.

Asked how she felt after learning of Morris' arrest, Castor said: "Once it was confirmed, I can't recall a point in my life feeling more relieved than when I got that news. ... Without a doubt, he'll spend the rest of his waking days behind bars."

Mayor Pam Iorio said she was glad news of the arrest came before the funeral.

"All of us feel a little bit lightened today because we can enter the services knowing the suspect has been captured," Iorio said.

She thanked the city for its support of the officers' families and the rest of the law enforcement community.

"They really need our support today - they're hurting, they're grieving," she said.

About 2 a.m., Morris, wearing a white inmate jumpsuit, was led from police headquarters to a patrol car for the trip to Orient Road Jail. Several onlookers shouted at him, some calling him a "cop killer."

On Thursday, detectives began 30 hours of negotiations with one of Morris' associates, Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. Those conversations led Morris to turn himself in.

The man detectives interviewed will get the $100,000 reward offered for information leading to Morris' arrest, McElroy said.

Morris was arrested on charges of first-degree murder in the slayings of Curtis and Kocab. The officers were killed after they tried to arrest Morris on a worthless check warrant during a traffic stop, police said.

Morris also was arrested in the May 18 slaying of Derek Anderson, who was shot in the back at the Johnson and Kenneth Court apartment complex while walking home with a backpack full of freshly laundered clothes.

The bullets that killed the officers were fired from the same gun used to kill Anderson, according to police documents.

After learning Morris will be charged, Anderson's cousin Robert Gilchrist said, "Thank God. Thank Jesus.

"I was hoping that he did turn himself in because we needed to know; we needed him to see him," Gilchrist said. "We needed to see him get justice served.

"And I just really want to see his face you know and see if he has any remorse or if he's feeling anything," he said. "I just, I really need to see his face."

Investigators said Morris, who was released from prison in April after serving two years on drug charges, also is a suspect in last month's drug-related slaying of Harold Wright, 25, of Valrico.

Morris has not been charged in that case.

After learning of Morris' arrest, Wright's aunt Claudette Michel said, "Thank God! I feel safer."

Also Friday, police arrested Brantley, who they say was driving the red 1994 Toyota Camry stopped by Curtis just before he and Kocab were killed. Police said Morris was the Camry's passenger. They say Brantley drove away after the shooting and Morris ran.

Brantley, 22, will face a federal charge of witnessing a felony and not reporting it, Castor said. As a handcuffed Brantley walked from a patrol car to the jail, she wore a shirt with the words, "Loser Machine" across the front.

Also arrested Friday night was Morris' brother, Dwayne Callaway, who had been sought by police for days. Callaway is charged with violating his probation on domestic battery charges.

Morris, Brantley and Callaway declined requests for interviews this morning, jail officials said.