Man Accidentally Shoots Himself While Fleeing Authorities

ST. PETERSBURG - A man accidentally shot himself in the thigh while fleeing authorities in St. Petersburg, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Matthew Lukine Brown, 23, was seen driving through a residential neighborhood in the area of 6th Avenue South and 13th Street South around midnight Wednesday. His car headlights were off and he was running stop signs and driving through red lights, according to an arrest report.

Officers with the Violent Crimes Task Force used a tire-deflation device to stop Brown near 22nd Avenue South and 34th Street South, but his vehicle continued to travel at a high rate of speed as he tried to flee.

An officer saw a bright flash coming from the vehicle and heard a noise like a gunshot. He then saw Brown discard a handgun. Officers stopped Brown’s car near 22nd Avenue South and 22nd Street South, and he was arrested.

Officers said Brown accidentally shot himself in the thigh when he tried to get rid of the gun. The handgun was recovered, and officers said the weapon was previously reported stolen from a vehicle in Largo.
Brown was taken to Bayfront Hospital and later released. He’s being held in the Pinellas County Jail and faces charges of fleeing and eluding, reckless driving and grand theft of a firearm.

The Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) is a county-wide, multi-jurisdictional task force that focuses on violent crime in Pinellas County. The task force is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, St. Petersburg Police Department and the Clearwater Police Department.