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OFFICE

OF THE STATE ATTORNEY

SIXTH UDICIAL CIRCUIT

O

F FLORIDA

P S

O ND L

AS

C

OUN

TIE

S

BERNIEkfCC BE ~~~~ _----

State ttorney

J une 10 2016

SHERI FF BOB GUALTI ERI

PI NELLAS COUNTY SHERI FF' S OFFI CE

10750 ULMERTON ROAD

LARGO FL 33778

RE :

Shoot i ng i nci dent r esul t i ng i n t he deat h of Al t on W t char d

on May 7 2016,

at

appr oxi mat el y 3: 15 a. m ,

at

2220 21st

Avenue Sout h,

S t .

Pet er sbur g, Pi nel l as Count y, Fl or i da

Dear Sher i f f Gual t i er i :

Pur suant t o not i f i cat i on by your dep r tmnt t o t hi s of f i ce

at 4: 29

a . m

on May

7

2016, t hat

a

shoot i ng i nci dent had

occur r ed at 2 2 2 0 21st Avenue South, S t . Pet er sbur g, Pi nel l as

Count y, Fl or i da, we have conduct ed an i nvest i gat i on as descr i bed

her ei n.

Repr esent at i ves of t hi s of f i ce ar r i ved at t he scene

at

appr oxi mat el y 6: 00 a. m on Satur day,

M

ay

7

2016, and af t er

havi ng exam ned t he scene, pr oceeded t o t he S t . Pet er sbur g

Pol i ce Depar t ment , 1300 1st Avenue Nor t h,

S t .

Pet er sbur g,

Fl or i da, t o t ake swor n t est i mony of pe r sons who wer e

ascer t ai ned t o have r el evant knowl edge of t he i nci dent .

St atement s of t he f ol l owi ng per sons wer e t aken at t he

S t .

Pet er sbur g Pol i ce Depart ment :

I .

SPPD

Of f i cer J onat han Vasquez

2.

SPPD Of f i cer Scot t Cameron

3

SPPD Of f i cer Br i an Bur t on

4 .

SPPD Of f i cer

J oseph Heer

5 . SPPD Of f i cer J ose Chal as

6 .

SPPD Of f i cer Br et t McKean

7

PCSO

Det ect i ve Meagan Nest or

8 PC

SO Corporal Mel vi n J ackson

9 .

PCSO Cor por al

J onat han Cl ear y

10.

PCSO

Deput y Mat t hew Thornt on

I I .

PCSO Deput y Leah Geoghegan

12 .

PCSO Cor por al Rober t Ost er l and

1 3.

SPPD Of f i cer Li em Mach

1 4.

PCSO Det ect i ve Car l os Cr uz

1 5. PCSO

Det ect i ve Guy Habercom

1 6.

PC

SO Ser geant Ken Eul er

1 7. PCSO Li eut enant

Paul Carey

PCSO Det ect i ve, Yar i el Mata' s, sworn st atement was t aken

May

7

2016,

at

t he Pi nel l as Count y Sher i f f ' s Of f i ce.

Post Office B

o

x 50

28

, Cle

a

rwater F

l

orida

33

758 Telephone

7

7

)

464-622

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Sher i f f Bob Gual t i er i

Page

2

06/ 10/ 16

We have al so spoken w t h homci de i nvest i gators

i nvest i gat i ng t he i nci dent

as

wel l as r evi ewed Pi nel l as Count y

Sher i f f ' s Of f i ce and

S t .

Pet er sbur g Pol i ce Depart ment r eport s

concer ni ng t he matt er. Addi t i onal l y, we have r evi ewed

phot ogr aphi c evi dence and r adi o communi cat i ons. We have r evi ewed

t he aut opsy r epor t of Deput y Chi ef Medi cal Exam ner Noel Pal ma.

Based upon t he exam nat i on of t he scene and t he

i nvest i gat i on descr i bed above we have determ ned t he f act s t o be

as f ol l ows:

On May 7 2016, at appr oxi matel y 3: 00 a.m.

member s of t he

S t .

Pet ersbur g Pol i ce Depart ment and t he Pi nel l as Count y

Sher i f f ' s Of f i ce wer e wor ki ng t oget her i n t he ar ea of Sout h

S t .

Pet er sbur g i n a j oi nt aut o t hef t t ask f or ce.

Uni f ormed SPPD Of f i cer , J onat han Vasquez, was oper at i ng hi s

mar ked vehi cl e sout hbound on 16t h St r eet Sout h when he obser ved

a

si l ver For d van dr i vi ng

at

a

hi gh r at e

o f

speed t ur ni ng nort h

ont o 16t h St r eet Sout h f r om22nd Avenue Sout h. Of f i cer Vasquez

r equest ed sur vei l l ance on t he vehi cl e by under cover uni t s i n t he

ar ea. Sur vei l l ance r eveal ed t hat t he Fl or i da t ag Y33- CHM

at t ached t o t he For d Van was not assi gned

t o

t he vehi cl e. The

vehi cl e al so was of si m l ar make and model as one l i st ed on t he

st ol en vehi cl e hot sheet . Thus, t he deci si on was made t o ut i l i ze

mar ked crui ser s t o st op t he vehi cl e.

S t .

Pet ersbur g Pol i ce Depar t ment Of f i cer Scot t Cameron was

oper at i ng

a

f ul l y mar ked pol i ce cr ui ser and appr oached t he

suspect ' s vehi cl e af t er

i t

had i l l egal l y par ked i n t he ar ea of

1414 20t h Avenue Sout h. Cameron pul l ed i n f r ont of t he suspect

vehi cl e

as

di d t he marked uni t bei ng operat ed by SPPD Of f i cer

Vasquez, bot h of f i cer s act i vat i ng

t hei r

l i ght s, and Vasquez

act i vat i ng hi s si r en.

I n r esponse t he suspect vehi cl e, l at er det er m ned to be

occupi ed by Cor y W l l i ams ( dr i ver ) and Al t on W t char d

( passenger ) , i mmedi at el y sped backwar ds i n r ever se, st r i ki ng an

occupi ed under cover pol i ce vehi cl e posi t i oned behi nd

i t .

The

vehi cl e t hen dr ove f or war d ont o t he si dewal k and st r uck Of f i cer

Cameron' s marked cr ui ser

as

i t f l ed f r om t he ar ea. Under cover

uni t s i n t he ar ea at t empt ed t o st op t he vehi cl e wi t h st op st i cks

unsuccessf ul l y. Member s of t he t ask f or ce wer e al er t ed vi a r adi o

t hat t he van had st r uck an occupi ed pol i ce cr ui ser and f l ed. The

deci si on was made not t o chase t he van wi t h marked pol i ce

crui ser s but t o at t empt t o f ol l ow

i t

wi t h under cover vehi cl es

and a hel i copt er i n t he ar ea.

Pi nel l as Count y Sher i f f ' s Of f i ce Cor por al J onat han Cl ear y

and Deputy Mat t hew Thornt on were operat i ng an under cover vehi cl e

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Sher i f f Bob Gua

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t i er i

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06/ 10/ 16

and f ol l owed t he

va n

Behi nd

t hem

Pi nel l as Count y Sher i f f ' s

Of f i ce det ecti ves, Yar i e

l

Mat a and Meagan

Ne s

t

o r were al so

f ol l ow ng i n t hei r under cover vehi cl e. Bot h uni t s

f o l l

owed t he

van as i t ent ered an al l ey sout h o f 2220 21st Avenue South, S t .

Pet er sbur g. Shor t l y af t er ent er i ng t he al l ey, t he van sl owed and

possi bl y st opped moment ar i l y, at whi ch t i me passenger Al t on

W t char d exi t ed t he vehi cl e and f el l t o t he gr ound. W t char d

r ose to hi s f eet and was observed by Det ect i ve Mat a and

Det ect i ve Nest or t o be i n possessi on of an assaul t r i f l e.

W t char d r an nort h t hr ough a r esi dent i al pr oper t y, r ef usi ng

commands f r om Mat a t o drop t he weapon

as

he and Nest or pur sued

i n t hei r under cover vehi cl e.

Detect i ve Yar i el Mat a observed W t chard t ur n back t owards

Mat a and Nest or mu

l

t i pl e t i mes

as

t hey cont i nued t hei r pur sui t ,

r e s u

l

t i ng i n t he f i r ear m bei ng tur ned i n t hei r di r ect i on.

Detect i ve Mat a, each t i me concer ned t hat W t char d m ght shoot

hi m or Nestori

bel i eves W t char d di d not f i r e t he weapon due t o

t hei r

vehi cl e

s

cl ose pr oxi m t y t o hi m

as

t hey pur sued onl y f eet

behi nd Wt char d. W t char d r an past t he cor ner of t he r esi dence

l ocat ed at 2220

2 1 s t

Avenue Sout h and headed west t owar ds a

nei ghbor i ng r esi dence. W t char d was abl e t o

ga i n

appr oxi mat el y

2 5 f eet di st ance f r omMat a' s vehi cl e

as

he changed di r ect i on.

Detect i ve Mat a r epeat edl

y

commanded W t char d t o drop t he gun

whi ch W t char d i gno r e d Al t on W t char d t ur ned t oward Mat a once

agai n and now

i n

a posi t i on whi ch woul d al l ow hi m t o f i r e upon

de t ect i ves Mat a and Nest or . Det ect i ve Mat a, f ear i ng t hat he or

Nest or woul d be shot by W t chard, di schar ged hi s weapon f i ve

t i mes, st r i ki ng W t char d

4

t i mes, r esul t i ng i n

h

i s deat h.

W t char d f el l t o t he gr ound on t op of hi s weapon. Once

backup o f f

i

cer s ar r i ved, t he . 223 cal i ber Eagl e Ar ms Ri f l e,

model

EA15 ,

l oaded wi t h

17

r ounds, was r emoved f r om

be l

ow

W t char d. W t char d al so had a baggi e cont ai ni ng 2 0 separate

smal l bags of

m r i j u n

as wel l

as

4, 005 cash i n hi s

possessi on.

An aut opsy of Al t on Wt char d was conduct ed on May

7

, 2016,

by Deput y Chi ef Medi cal Exam ner Noel

Pa l

ma M D. Doct or Pal ma

det er m ned t he cause of W t char d' s deat h t o be mul t i pl e gunshot

wounds.

As a r esul t of t he i nvest i gat i on conduct ed by my of f i ce

I

have det er m ned t hat Det ect i ve Yar i el Mat a was i n t he

l

awf u

l

per f or mance of hi s l egal dut i es whi l e he was at t empt i ng t o

detai n and

d

i sar m Al t on W t char d who was f l eei ng a

ve hi c

l e

i nvol ved i n t wo separ at e hi t and run acci dent s wi t h pol i ce

vehi cl es whi l e ar med wi t h an assaul t st yl e r i f l e l oaded wi t h 1 7

r ounds of . 2 23 cal i ber mmuni t i on

t ch rd s

act i ons of t ur ni ng

t owards Deput i es Mat a and Nest or r epeat edl y pl aci ng hi s weapon

i n t hei r di r ect i on and r ef usi ng t o f ol l ow commands t o dr op t he

weapon const i t ut ed t he f or ci bl e f el ony of Aggr avat ed Assaul t

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Sher i f f Bob Gual t i er i

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06/ 10/ 16

upon a Law Enf orcement Of f i cer . Detect i ve Mat a had r eason t o

bel i eve t hat Al t on W t char d, i n hi s act i ons w t h t he r i f l e,

posed t he t hr eat of deat h or ser i ous physi cal har m t o hi m and

Deput y Nest or . Theref or e, i t i s t he concl usi on of t he St at e

At t or ney' s Of f i ce t hat t he deat h of Al t on W t char d was t he

r esul t of havi ng been shot by Det ect i ve Yar i el Mat a of t he

Pi nel l as Count y Sher i f f ' s Of f i ce who was i n t he l awf ul

per f or mance of hi s l egal dut i es and t hat t he shoot i ng was

j ust i f i abl e hom ci de, pur suant t o Sect i on 776. 012 and 776. 05

Fl or i da St at ut es.

Thi s l et t er may be r el eased t o t he news medi a or ut i l i zed

f or any ot her of f i ci al pur poses.

Si ncer el y,

~~~

Ber ni e McCabe

St at e At t or ney

KD/ 0609at 18