PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Detectives with the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force are on the scene of a fatal deputy-involved shooting following an armed home invasion early Friday morning in unincorporated Clearwater.
According to officials, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies rushed to a residence at 1052 Candler Road after a 911 call reporting an armed home invasion came in at 6:44 a.m.
The adult male suspect who forced his way into the home is dead. Authorities confirmed that neither the homeowner nor any of the responding deputies sustained injuries during the incident.
Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy is scheduled to brief the media on the situation later this morning.
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The investigation has been turned over to the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force. Formed in 2020, the task force was created to ensure that law enforcement’s use of deadly force is scrutinized through thorough, complete, and objective investigations.
By design, the task force guarantees that officer-involved shootings within Pinellas County are handled by an independent agency rather than the department involved in the shooting itself.
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