Suspect killed, officer recovering after shootout in St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – Two St. Petersburg police officers were injured Wednesday afternoon, at least one of them with a gunshot wound, in a shooting that also sent a suspect to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says the St. Petersburg police were attempting to take Dominique Harris, 20, into custody on a child abuse charge after he allegedly slammed a 15-year-old child to the ground just after 4:15 p.m. near 14th Street South and 18th Avenue South.

According to Sheriff Gualtieri, officers approached Harris and attempted to take him into custody. Harris refused to cooperate with police and when officers attempted to get into Harris’ car to take him into custody he drove attempted to flee.

After hitting multiple police vehicles as well as striking a concrete pole, Gualteri says Harris started firing a handgun out the window of his vehicle shooting one of the officers in the lower torso.

The officer is expected to recover. A second officer suffered a minor leg injury.

The shooting occurred outside the Food Max convenience store. Sheriff Gualtieri noted that Dominique Harris’ brother left the vehicle and went into the store prior to the shooting.

During the press conference Gualtieri displayed a picture of the semi automatic handgun that Harris used while noting shell casings next to Harris’ firearm.

The Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force is investigating.

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