An investigation is ongoing after a 65-year-old woman was shot by Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies when she allegedly waved a gun and fled a traffic stop that occurred early in the morning. As reported by WFLA, the incident began around 1:29 a.m. after deputies pulled over the woman's vehicle for running a red light at 113 Street North and Park Boulevard.
According to WTSP, after the initial stop, the woman, identified as the driver, decided to quickly drive away, prompting law enforcement to conduct a subsequent stop. This time, the situation escalated when she reportedly began to wave her gun and collide into police vehicles. Despite attempting to non-lethally stop her with a PIT maneuver, the deputies were forced to finally use their firearms when she continued to threaten safety by waving the gun and ramming into multiple patrol cars.
The aftermath of the incident resulted in the woman being in critical condition after being struck by gunfire multiple times. Additionally, one deputy was hospitalized due to injuries sustained during the confrontation. "She was struck several times. She is in critical condition. We have one deputy that is also at the hospital who received injuries from the accident," Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told WTSP.
In light of the event, seven deputies have been put on administrative leave as the procedure mandates during such an investigation, noted ABC Action News. The deputies involved are Lt. Thomas Montgomery, K9 Corporal Justin Fineberg, Corporal Brian Hirshman, Corporal Tyler Reidy, Deputy Melanie Leib, Deputy Michael Kilian, and Deputy Alberto Ortiz. The St. Petersburg Police Department is leading the investigation into the shooting, and further details will be revealed as they become available.
