Pinellas Sheriff fired Deputy who shot unarmed and handcuffed prisoner at DUI traffic stop
Pinellas County Sheriff Deputy Timothy Virden arrested after shooting handcuffed unarmed man 012916
Deputy Arrested Following Investigation
Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
-Patrol Operations Bureau
Investigative Operations Bureau
-Robbery/Homicide Unit
Dylan M. Tompkins-Holmes (Injured)
DOB: 11/17/1989
Address: 5838 24th Avenue South, Gulfport
Deputy Timothy Virden
Date of hire: 01/22/07
What:
A Pinellas County Deputy has been arrested following an investigation into the December 30, 2015, shooting of a subject during a traffic stop in Madeira Beach.
Where:
The incident occurred near the intersection of 129th Avenue East and Village Boulevard in Madeira Beach.
When:
Deputies initiated the traffic stop at about 3:04 a.m. on Wednesday, December 30, 2015. The shooting occurred shortly afterward.
Deputy Virden was arrested and charged on the morning of Friday, January 29, 2016.
How/Why:
Today, during a press conference, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced the arrest of Deputy Timothy Virden on the charge of Attempted Manslaughter.
On December 30, 2015 at approximately 3:20 a.m. Deputy Virden shot Dylan Tompkins-Holmes, after arresting him on a misdemeanor charge of obstruction. The arrest occurred as a result of a traffic stop in John’s Pass Village near the intersection of Village Boulevard and 129th Avenue East in Madeira Beach.
The Sheriff’s Robbery & Homicide Unit conducted an investigation into the shooting and it was determined that Deputy Virden was not justified in shooting Tompkins-Holmes.
Deputy Virden violated state law and committed the crime of Attempted Manslaughter when he shot Dylan.
The Sheriff’s Office ‘Use of Deadly Force Review Board’ conducted its own independent review of the shooting and also determined that the shooting was not justified under law or agency policy.
The case was subsequently reviewed and investigated by the State Attorney’s Office and presented to a Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge who found probable cause to charge Deputy Virden with one count of Attempted Manslaughter.
In this case, Deputy Virden’s version of events that led to him intentionally firing his gun and using deadly force are not supported by the objective facts and his decision to use deadly force is outside the parameters permitted by applicable law and policy.
Deputy Virden was arrested and charged on the morning of Friday, January 29, 2016. He has since been released on bond.
As a result, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri terminated Deputy Virden’s employment with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
“I have an obligation to our deputies but I have a larger obligation to the citizens we serve, the Office of Sheriff and its integrity, the law enforcement profession as a whole and, of utmost importance, upholding the public’s trust placed in us in performing our duties,” Sheriff Gualtieri said during the press conference.
