TAMPA, Fla. – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred in the Channelside area of Tampa on Saturday evening.
The incident took place around 7:00 PM on December 28th, when two Tampa Police Reserve Officers were working traffic enforcement on the 600 block of Channelside Drive. They encountered a 38-year-old black male, and during the interaction, one of the officers shot the man.
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Preliminary findings indicate that the man threatened to shoot another officer and reached for his pocket, leading the officer to fire her weapon. The man was struck three times and transported to the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
The officer who fired her weapon is a 46-year-old white female. Her partner, a 58-year-old white male, did not discharge his weapon. Both officers have prior law enforcement experience and joined the Tampa Police Department as Reserve Officers in July 2023.
Reserve Officers are volunteers who provide additional support to the police department during emergencies or special events. They do not wear body cameras.
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The FDLE is leading the investigation into the shooting, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings in Florida. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses to determine the exact circumstances that led to the shooting.
Both officers have been placed on administrative leave from their volunteer duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
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