ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — One person is dead after reportedly being shot by a St. Petersburg police officer Sunday morning.

According to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, a resident called law enforcement around 11:20 a.m., reporting that his brother was attempting suicide and behaving erratically.

St. Pete police officers responded to the home on 121 Pershing Street Northeast at 11:31 a.m.

Officers went inside the house and found the man, identified as Kasey Sedlock, 37, with a knife in his hand. Gualtieri said Sedlock told officers, “Shoot me, shoot me.”

Officers deployed a taser to try to de-escalate the situation, and Sedlock fell to the ground, dropped the knife, and continued to tell the officers to shoot him, Gualtieri said.

“Kasey grabbed the knife and was getting up off the ground with the knife in his right hand as he was trying to get toward those officers,” Gualtieri told reporters in a news conference on Sunday. “The shooting officer was concerned for his safety and the others and felt like they were in imminent peril. So he fired four times.”

After being struck, Sedlock was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Jennifer and Christian Logan rode passed the scene Sunday during their routine scooter ride around the neighborhood.
The married couple lives told News Channel 8 they live one mile away from the residence of importance and were pained for all parties involved.

“You have to, you know, worry about yourself and your own safety and then also trying to protect others,” Jennifer Logan said.

“If he starts charging you with a knife, I mean, the officers have families. I’m sure wife and kids, you know, they have to come home to their family as well. So, you know, they’re kind of put in a tough spot there,” Logan’s husband Christian added.

According to SPPD, the officer was not hurt. Per Florida law, the shooting officer’s name will not be released for 72 hours, and he has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

The Pinellas County Use of Deadly Task Force has been activated to investigate the shooting.

One officer was taken to the hospital due to blood exposure, but no other injuries were reported.

There are multiple resources available in the Tampa area, offering services to ensure no one has to face a crisis alone.