Fatal Shooting Of Man By Deputies In Safety Harbor Ruled Justified

PINELLAS COUNTY - The Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office has concluded that the fatal shooting of a man by Pinellas County sheriff's deputies in Safety Harbor June 30 was justified.

On Thursday, State Attorney Bruce Bartlett released the results of his office's investigation into the shooting involving four deputies that left one man dead in Safety Harbor.

The shooting occurred at 3:20 p.m. at 2525 Philippe Parkway, just north of Enterprise Road in Safety Harbor after the man who was killed, 43-year-old Robert Hubbard of Tampa, went on a crime spree 24 hours earlier, according to Clearwater Deputy Chief Michael Walek , who headed up an independent use of deadly force task force charged with investigating the deputy-involved shooting.

See related story: Man Killed By Pinellas Deputies After 24-Crime Spree: Police

Walek said the day before, Hubbard stole a golf cart and then a car in Hillsborough County.

Hours later in Pasco County, Walek said Hubbard was seen waving a gun around the parking lot of a Walmart. He then attempted to rob a woman outside an Outback Steakhouse in Trinity.

Alerts were issued to area law enforcement agencies warning them to be on the lookout for Hubbard who was listed as armed and dangerous. Hubbard, who had a criminal history spanning two decades, sent a series of Facebook message to his cousin while fleeing from law enforcement, saying he intended to get into a shootout with law enforcement.

" ... Cops. I hope. Gonns be a nice shootout," Hubbard wrote to his cousin.

He sent another message later, saying, "Im on a mission. Handle yourself. Obviously I was a burden like I am to everyone."

Hubbard sent a final message, saying, "No Im killin cops or
whoever gets in my f**** way. Aint gonna make it. Im dead. Getting ready to jump in
front of something big."

Bartlett said, from Hubbard's actions and messages to his cousin, it was reasonable for deputies to assume he posed a deadly threat.

"The quick pace of the incident provoked the only response available to the deputies; to

respond to the perceived deadly force against them by responding with deadly force to protect
themselves and nearby citizens from the reasonably perceived deadly threat posed by Hubbard's
actions," Bartlett said.

"Hubbard's presentation of the replica BB handgun to the deputies was consistent with the aiming and firing of a real firearm," Bartlett continued. "The distance the deputies perceived the replica BB handgun from made it impossible to quickly determine if the handgun was real. The replica BB handgun displayed by Hubbard was sufficiently like in color, size, shape and other
characteristics as a real firearm for each deputy to reasonably perceive that said the replica BB
handgun was a real firearm."