Armed woman shot by deputies after waving gun, ramming several vehicles: PCSO
News conference on deputy-involved shooting
Officials gave an update early Tuesday on a deputy-involved shooting in Pinellas County that critically injured a 65-year-old suspect, who investigators say waved a gun and rammed several vehicles.
INDIAN SHORES, Fla. - A 65-year-old woman was shot by Pinellas County deputies after the sheriff's office says she took off from multiple traffic stops, waved a gun and rammed several vehicles, injuring a deputy.
Timeline:
According to St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway, whose agency is leading the investigation, a deputy pulled over Marina DeFilippo shortly before 1:30 a.m. for running a red light at 113th St. N and Park Blvd.
Investigators say Defilippo told the deputy the CIA was coming after her, and she was believed to be speaking Russian at one point before driving off.
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Deputies eventually used stop sticks, according to Holloway, but DeFilippo kept going with flat tires until she was stopped by Indian Shores Police along Gulf Blvd.
Investigators say DeFilippo pointed a gun at police, then rammed a patrol car and continued northbound on Gulf Blvd. until a deputy used a PIT maneuver to stop her.
Photo courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies fired bean bags and pepper balls at the suspect, Holloway says, at which point DeFilippo rammed multiple vehicles. That's when seven deputies opened fire, hitting her at least three times.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is investigating a deputy-involved shooting along Gulf Blvd. in Indian Shores.
DeFilippo is in critical but stable condition at the hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to Holloway.
A deputy also suffered minor injuries when the vehicles were rammed, investigators say.
Holloway says DeFilippo will face two counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery and one count of fleeing and eluding.
PCSO released the names of the seven deputies involved in the shooting:
- Lt. Thomas Montgomery
- K9 Corporal Justin Fineberg
- Corporal Brian Hirshman
- Corporal Tyler Reidy
- Deputy Melanie Leib
- Deputy Kyle Kilian
- Deputy Alberto Ortiz
All seven deputies are on leave during the investigation, which is standard procedure.
The Source: This story was written with information from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and the St. Petersburg Police Department.
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