PINELLAS PARK, Fla. – A tactical standoff in a Pinellas Park neighborhood ended in gunfire Tuesday afternoon, leaving one man dead after he allegedly pointed a weapon at law enforcement officers.
The incident unfolded on March 31, 2026, around 11:33 a.m. at 6550 Briar Ridge Court North. Pinellas Park Police arrived at the scene following a 911 call reporting an armed individual. The caller stated that a suspect had threatened him with a rifle.
Upon arrival, officers identified the man as 39-year-old Ryan Lecompte. Police attempted to open a dialogue with Lecompte, but after he refused to communicate and remained barricaded inside the residence, the Pinellas Park SWAT team was activated.
Following several hours of unsuccessful attempts to establish contact, SWAT members used an MRAP vehicle to breach the front door of the home. A drone was then deployed into the house to locate Lecompte. Surveillance footage from the drone showed Lecompte armed with a shotgun, which he then raised toward the officers.
Corporal Wesley Ducheney and Officer Ryan Poletz, who were positioned across the street, fired four rounds at Lecompte. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. Neither officer sustained injuries.
Pinellas County Sheriff Gualtieri defended the officers’ actions, noting the immediate threat posed by the suspect.
“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,” Gualtieri said. “He’s the one that created this situation and it is what it is.”
The Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force has taken over the case and the investigation remains ongoing.
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