PINELLAS COUNTY, FL. – Detectives assigned to Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force are investigating an officer involved shooting.
At approximately 8:50 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2022, St. Petersburg Police Officer Christian Collins and his Field Training Officer (FTO) responded to a call of a male armed with a gun walking in the area of 22nd Avenue South and 34th Street South in St. Petersburg.
According to detectives, officers arrived at the area, and they saw the male, later identified as 22-year-old Torey Barber. Barber was north of the intersection walking eastbound when the officers saw him with the firearm in his hand.
The FTO challenged Barber to drop the gun, however, Barber fled on foot northbound on 34th Street South.
Detectives say the FTO pursued Barber on foot as Officer Collins followed behind in a fully marked St. Petersburg Police Department vehicle. Barber ran into the parking lot located at 2140 34th Street South and began running southbound.
According to detectives, Barber pointed his gun at Officer Collins. Officer Collins then fired his gun from inside his vehicle, striking Barber in the upper body area.
Barber was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Charges are pending.
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.
The purpose of this taskforce is to make sure that officer-involved shootings in Pinellas County are investigated by an independent agency and not by the agency involved in the use of deadly force.
The investigation continues, and we will update this story when further details are relased.
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