(UPDATE 2 p.m.) Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri now says that Deputy Virden made up the story about the handcuffed suspect trying to grab his gun. Gualtieri says the suspect was bound in the back of a patrol car and did not resist or become violent with the deputy at all.
Earlier:
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) _ A Florida sheriff’s deputy has been arrested on an attempted-manslaughter charge.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s office said in a news release that Deputy Timothy Virden was arrested Friday.
On Dec. 30, Virden arrested 26-year-old Dylan Tompkins-Holmes on an obstruction of justice charge.
At the time of the arrest, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Virden had stopped Tompkins-Holmes’ girlfriend for a suspected DUI.
He says Tompkins-Holmes told her not to cooperate and ignored warnings from deputies to stop interfering.
Thompkins-Holmes was handcuffed and put into a patrol car.
The sheriff says Virden attempted to help him when he complained about being uncomfortable.
He said Tompkins-Holmes tried to grab the deputy’s gun and the two struggled.
Virden shot Tompkins-Holmes twice.