17-year-old shot by St. Pete officer after pointing gun at them, police say

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Members of the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force are investigating an officer-involved shooting.

According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, the shooting took place Wednesday afternoon in the area of 13th Avenue South just west of 25th Street.

According to officers, a 17-year-old ran from police when St. Petersburg Police Officer Leighton Williams spotted him with a gun in his waistband.

Authorities say when Officer Williams told the teen to drop the weapon, he reached for his gun and pointed it at the officer, giving Officer Williams no choice but to shoot.

Williams shot the teen once in the abdomen area. The teen was later taken to Bayfront Hospital in critical condition.

The teen is also a suspect of an armed robbery that occurred on Oct. 17 of a 10-year-old and 15-year-old.

The task force was created earlier this year to “ensure the investigations conducted into law enforcement use of deadly force are thorough, complete, and objective,” the police department said.