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Suspect in critical condition after officer-involved shooting in St. Pete: SPPD

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Published  March 8, 2025 11:40am EST
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News

Suspect shot after pointing gun at officers

FOX 13's Jordan Bowen shares that both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave and the suspect is in critical condition after a shooting in Pasco County.

The Brief

    • A suspect is in critical condition after an officer-involved shooting in St. Pete early Saturday morning, according to the St. Pete Police Department.
    • Officers responded to shots fired on the 2800 block of Freemont Terrace South where they found 48-year-old Vernon Miller standing in the doorway of a parked van.
    • Investigators say Miller was instructed to drop the gun he had in his hand. Miller then turned towards the officers with the gun and the officers fired several shots at him.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - An investigation is underway after an officer-involved shooting in St. Pete that left one person in critical condition, according to the St. Pete Police Department.

Officers responded to shots fired Saturday morning on the 2800 block of Freemont Terrace South where they found 48-year-old Vernon Miller standing in the doorway of a parked van.

Vernon Miller

Investigators say Miller was instructed to drop the gun he had in his hand. Miller then turned towards the officers with the gun and the officers fired several shots at him.

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy David Danzig spoke about the moment that shots were fired.

"He had a handgun and a cell phone in his hand. The officers then began giving the subject commands to drop the gun. They identified themselves. Police! Drop the gun! Drop the gun, drop the gun. During this conversation, the gentleman turned and pointed the gun towards him, turned and raced towards them," Danzig said.

Miller was hit multiple times in the abdomen and was transported to a local hospital.

"The officers have had contact with him recently, and he's been identified as being homeless or transient so it looks like he may be living in the van," Danzig said.

The backstory:

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says that Miller is a four-time convicted felon, and they are currently looking into his criminal history.

Danzig says they have had contact with Miller, and he's been identified as being homeless or transient, and could've been living in the van.

Suspect in critical condition after officer-involved shooting in St. Pete: SPPD.

Detectives say they found a spent shell casing at the scene, which did not belong to law enforcement. 

Investigators are still trying to track down the person who originally called law enforcement.

READ: Pinellas County school officials not allowing district officers to act as ICE agents in schools

What's next:

An investigation into the shooting involving Officer Austin Heard and Officer Steve Blanda is underway. Both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.

A Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force was created in 2020 to ensure the investigations are thorough, complete and objective. 

The point is to make sure that officer-involved shootings are investigated by an independent agency and not by the agency involved in the use of deadly force.

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The Source: Information for this story was provided by the St. Pete Police Department and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

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