ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A man who barricaded himself inside a St. Pete boarding house and got into an hours-long standoff that resulted in him getting into a shootout with authorities is in the hospital with serious injuries, police said in a release.
It all started when the man, identified as 26-year-old Jerid Fenderson, threatened guests who were staying with him, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
Gualtieri said on Wednesday Fenderson invited a woman he knew, along with her boyfriend and son to stay with him. He was living in a 1-room apartment at the boarding house, located on 29th Street N near 2nd Avenue in the Grand Central District.
Everything seemed to be going well until Fenderson came home that night. Gualtieri said it appears Fenderson was set off when he found the three guests sleeping in his bed. That’s when he pulled a gun on them, even threatening to kill the child, the sheriff said.
The three people were able to make it out of the house and call the police. Officers with the St. Petersburg Police Department responded around midnight. After meeting with the three people, Gualtieri said police determined they had cause to arrest Fenderson for aggravated assault.
At some point soon after police arrived, Fenderson reportedly fired at officers and they shot back. No one was hurt in that exchange and Fenderson retreated into the house.
Other people living in the home were able to safely leave the home during the standoff, Gualtieri said.
Around 1:30 a.m., police decided to call in a S.W.A.T. team to assist in the ongoing standoff. As S.W.A.T was finishing setting up across the street, the sheriff said Fenderson came back out again and started firing at the armored S.W.A.T. vehicle.
A sniper who was already in position fired a shot that hit Fenderson in the chest. Authorities rendered aid and he was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. He is expected to survive, Gualtieri said.
Per protocol, the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Task Force was activated, which resulted in the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office taking the lead as the investigation continues.
Watch the full news conference here: