2 Pinellas Deputies Cleared in Fatal Shooting

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Two Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies involved in a Nov. 5 fatal shooting in unincorporated St. Petersburg have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

State Attorney Bernie McCabe released the results of his office’s investigation into the shooting to Sheriff Bob Gualtieri on Nov. 23. The findings were made public on Monday evening, Nov. 28.

“As a result of this investigation, I have determined that Deputies Gauthier and Segrete were in lawful performance of their legal duties when they confronted John Zemola,” McCabe said. “Zemola was wielding a knife on the street and advancing towards the deputies.”

McCabe’s investigation kicked off following the Nov. 5 shooting that occurred in the 5000 block of 64th Street North around 10:30 p.m. Deputies Jake Gauthier and Jonathan Segrete were justified in using deadly force, McCabe said, because they “believed that Deputy’s Gauthier’s life was in danger.”

Zemola, 49, was struck with several rounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.

The incident that prompted the shooting began to unfold when deputies received a 911 call about a domestic disturbance. When the two deputies answered the call, they found Zemola “ramming his wife’s car and their house, knocking a front pillar down, with his pickup truck,” an email from the agency said.

When the deputies tried to approach Zemola, he put the truck in reverse and tried to pull away. The truck, however, became disabled and he got out with a knife in his hand, the email said.

The deputies ordered Zemola to put down the knife, but he told them: “You’re going to have to kill me.” At that point, the sheriff’s office said its two deputies tried to back away, but Zemola moved towards them.

Gauthier and Segrete had been on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

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