Newly released police video is shedding light on the final minutes of a more than five hour standoff in Pinellas Park that ended with officers shooting and killing 39-year-old Ryan LeCompte outside his home on March 31. The footage shows a SWAT team using an armored vehicle to punch through the front door and officers firing as LeCompte appears in the doorway holding a shotgun. He was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead.
Details from the sheriff's office
According to detectives with the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force, officers responded around 11:33 a.m. to 6550 Briar Ridge Court North after a lawn care worker reported being threatened with a rifle. The Pinellas Park SWAT team was activated when the man barricaded himself inside, a press release from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office states.
Investigators say that after hours of unsuccessful attempts to reach him, SWAT officers used a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle to breach the front door and deployed a drone to get a look inside. The drone video reportedly showed the man holding a shotgun just before officers opened fire. Authorities later identified him as 39-year-old Ryan LeCompte and named Corporal Wesley Ducheney and Officer Ryan Poletz as the two officers who discharged their weapons.
What the new video shows
The footage, aired by WTSP, includes drone and exterior views that capture the armored vehicle breaching the home and the moments when officers fire as LeCompte appears in the doorway with a shotgun. Local coverage reports that the standoff began after a landscaper said LeCompte repeatedly came outside carrying an AR-15 and pointed the rifle at him; crews at the scene negotiated for hours before breaching the house, FOX 13 reported.
How police say the confrontation unfolded
Reporting by the Tampa Bay Times says officers tried several ways to reach LeCompte before deciding on a tactical breach, including text messages sent by police, an ex spouse and an adult son. After the MRAP pushed open the front door, two officers stationed across the street fired multiple rounds. LeCompte was taken to Bayfront Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The county's Use of Deadly Force task force is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting.
Who was Ryan LeCompte
Ryan Jacob LeCompte served in the U.S. Marine Corps and later worked as an advocate for mental health treatments for veterans. His obituary states that he founded Veterans for Entheogenic Therapy, an organization focused on those issues. Funeral home notices list a public viewing and a service with military honors scheduled for mid April, according to his obituary on Legacy.
Investigation and what comes next
The Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force is gathering video, physical evidence and witness statements as part of its independent review, according to a press release from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri is quoted in that statement saying, "We don’t need to wait for him to shoot … especially with a guy that came out already three times with an AR15 and directly pointed that AR15 at the victim. He’s the one that created this situation and it is what it is." Officials say the task force will send its findings to prosecutors when the inquiry is complete, and no charges have been announced.
Community impact
Neighbors told reporters they watched a large, hours long police operation unfold in a typically quiet subdivision, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The independent investigation remains active as authorities continue to review video and testimony. Family service information is available through the obituary.
