Pinellas sheriff: Deputy forced to shoot man walking around with gun

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In Pinellas County, the sheriff says a deputy had to shoot a man who was pointing a gun at him.

At 6 p.m. Friday, deputies were called to Curlew Avenue in Palm Darbor because a man was allegedly walking around with a gun.

The deputy said, when he got there, 46-year old Todd Rowe went behind a row of homes. When the deputy confronted him, the sheriff says Rowe refused commands to drop the gun.

"It sounded like some kind of gunfight. We got our kids under the table and locked all the doors and made sure everyone was safe, that was our first priority,” explained Kristopher Keith, who lives nearby.

The sheriff says Rowe did not fire at the deputy. He was hit once in the upper body and taken to St. Joes Hospital. He is expected to survive.

"Rowe was in the backyard and he was told to drop the gun, he did not and when Deputy Lyon was moving, Rowe was tracking him so that's when Deputy Lyon had to fire and protect himself," said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

The sheriff said Rowe has a lengthy history with law enforcement, including at least one previous physical altercation.