Armed 17-Year-Old Shot By St. Pete Police, Hospitalized

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A 17-year-old St. Petersburg boy accused of pointing a gun at a police officer called to break up a fight was then shot by an officer, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told reporters at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

St. Pete police officers responded to a domestic fight in the Wildwood Park area, Gualtieri said, with the 17-year-old boy arguing with a girl as he tried to take her cell phone. Officers moved to arrest the boy for domestic battery but he ran from police before he could be placed in handcuffs.

The teen ran east on 13th Avenue South, detectives said. St. Petersburg K-9 Officer Leighton Williams heard about the suspect on the run from the police radio.

"Officer Williams continued eastbound just behind me at the intersection (13th Avenue South and 25th Street South) you see that tan house right over by my shoulder is the...the subject was concealing himself on the northeast corner of that tan house behind me. He was crouched down behind a fence there. Officer Williams got out of his cruiser and got his K-9. The subject then moved farther to the east and ran south, and between the yellow house and the blue house."

The teenager ran through an alley and waited by a garage. Williams saw the boy had a gun in his waistband, and authorities said the 17-year-old reached for his gun when Williams told him to drop the weapon.

"As he was in the process of pointing it toward Officer Williams, Officer Williams fired one time," Gualtieri said."

A bullet hit the teen in the abdomen. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was last listed in surgery.

The sheriff said the teen will face multiple charges in the shooting.

The shooting happened in the area of 13th Avenue South just west of 25th Street South, investigators said. Members of the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Taskforce responded.

In 2020, the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Taskforce was created to ensure the investigations conducted into law enforcement use of deadly force are thorough, complete and objective, St. Pete police said. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office will take over the investigation since the shooting involved an officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Patch has a reporter at the scene. This is a developing story. Patch will keep you updated.