Video from previous post: Reported fight ends in deadly shooting investigation in Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)— The State Attorney’s Office determined that no criminal charges will be filed against a man in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old on Sept. 20, the Tampa Police Department announced.
TPD concluded the investigation into the fatal shooting that happened on Sept. 20 in the 13000 block of River Willow Place and following a review of the evidence the SAO determined that no criminal charges will be filed against the resident involved.
The Tampa Police Department released the following statement:
We recognize the profound pain and concern this tragedy has caused for the family and friends of those involved, and for our entire community. To ensure full transparency, the Tampa Police Department is releasing the established sequence of events surrounding the incident.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, a 15-year-old boy realized he had lost his cell phone after leaving a local establishment.
Later that day, he and two friends used tracking technology to locate the general area of the device, which indicated a location near the 13000 block of River Willow Place, TPD said.
Wanting to get the phone, the three entered the gated community through an open gate, leaving their truck in the middle of the roadway.
A community member asked the three to move the vehicle, and after that, they went door-to-door asking residents if anyone had the phone.
According to TPD, the three did not get an answer at the front door of a man’s home in his mid-20s, so they proceeded to the backyard.
After entering the enclosed back patio, they began banging on the sliding glass door.
According to TPD, in the investigation, the resident stated that he put a mask on and armed himself to scare the individuals he observed on his private back patio attempting to access his sliding glass door.
Evidence showed that when the other teens fled, a physical altercation ensued just outside the enclosed patio between the 15-year-old and the man.
According to officers, during the struggle, the resident said he was placed in a headlock and feared for his life, at which point a single round was discharged from the gun, hitting the teen.
Officers arrived and found the teen critically injured. They began providing life-saving measures, but he died from his injuries at the scene.
Investigators confirmed that the resident cooperated fully with the investigation, and the firearm was taken as evidence, TPD said.
The teen’s phone was not inside the home and has not been found.
TPD presented the results of their investigation to the SAO for a formal review and after a thorough review of the facts and evidence, they determined that the facts do not support the filing of criminal charges, as they are “unable to successfully refute a claim of self-defense in this incident.”
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