Pinellas County sheriff's detectives are investigating a deputy involved shooting in the 5100 block of 64th Street North in Lealman Saturday night.
One man is dead; No Pinellas County sheriff's deputies were injured.
Detectives assigned to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Robbery/Homicide Unit are investigating a shooting involving two deputies after they were called to a home for a domestic disturbance in unincorporated St. Petersburg.
According to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office news release, deputies were dispatched to 5198 64th Street North in unincorporated St. Petersburg after a 911 call came in for a domestic disturbance at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov.5.
Pinellas sheriff's Deputy Jake Guathier and Deputy Jonathan Segrete responded and parked their cruisers along 64th Street, the release states. At the scene, the deputies saw John F. Zemola ramming his wife's car and their house, knocking a front pillar down with his pickup truck.
Cammy Zemola had been out with friends and when she got home Saturday afternoon she found Zemola destroying the home. THe release states Zemola had a history of mental health issues and had been drinking after a year of sobriety.
Deputies say when they approached Zemola, he put the truck in reverse and pulled onto 64th Street, where his vehicle became disabled. He got out of the truck with a knife in his hand.
The deputies saw the weapon and ordered Zemola several times to drop the knife. Zemola made the statement, "You're going to have to kill me," according to the release.
The deputies tried to retreat and back up. Zemola kept moving towards them, authorities said. When Zemola was about 3 to 5 feet away, the deputies fired several rounds, striking Zemola and struck him in the upper body. He fell and was deceased in the roadway.
At a new conference held near the scene, Pinellas County Sheriff Gualtieri said, "We are very fortunate that the deputies are safe and that they were able to do what they did to protect themselves because he was clearly coming at them."
Deputy Guathier and Deputy Segrete will be placed on routine paid administrative leave.
