A Florida sheriff’s deputy fatally shot a suspect Saturday in a violent chokehold that left the officer hanging from the speeding man’s SUV, according to shocking body camera footage.
Pasco County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Howell You can see it in the video Outside a 7-Eleven in Hudson, north of Tampa, police spoke with Paul Smith, 40, a suspect with a violent criminal history connected to the shooting and strangulation.
Howell repeatedly tried to get the man’s attention by saying, “Hey, Paul,” but Smith stuck his head out of the car to respond to the deputy who ordered him to get out of the car.
Smith appeared confused and repeatedly asked Howell what was going on as he tried to get her out of the car.
The suspect then suddenly tried to start the engine and Howell jumped at him and tried to pull him out of the SUV.
“Get out of the car now! Get out of the car now!” Howell yells.
Smith ignored the officer and began speeding away, while the officer hung onto the door and continued to hold on to him and command him to stop.
As Smith continued to ignore the officers, Howell eventually pulled out a stun gun and fired a Taser into Smith’s back and neck multiple times.
When the stun gun proved ineffective, the deputy threw it aside, pulled out a pistol, and warned Smith multiple times to “stand still or you’re going to get shot.”
“Stop your car, you’re going to get shot!” Howell yelled one last time before firing at Smith.
Howell took control of the vehicle after the shooting and administered first aid to the suspect, but Smith ultimately succumbed to his injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
Pasco spokesman Col. Jeff Harrington defended Mr. Howell’s actions as necessary, noting that the sheriff’s office gave Mr. Smith multiple warnings before the officer drew his gun.
Pasco court records show Smith has previous arrests in the county on assault and drug charges, including a 2019 conviction for fleeing police, assaulting an officer and hit-and-run. include. tampa bay times Said. He served three years in state prison for that crime.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is currently investigating Saturday’s shooting. The department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment Sunday.
