St. Pete Man Killed After Pointing Gun At Officers: Sheriff

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Detectives are investigating the death of a St. Petersburg man was killed by officers for pointing a gun at police early Sunday morning, according to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

When St. Petersburg Police Department officers responded to a hit-and-run-crash just before 4 a.m. near 13th Avenue N. and 50th Street N., they found the bumper of the suspect’s vehicle at the scene, according to PCSO.

The bumper included the vehicle’s license plate, which officers ran and led them to an apartment on 58th Street North, the sheriff’s office said. Officers tried to make contact at the apartment multiple times.

After no response, they called the vehicle’s registered owner, Mary Spanoudis, who lives at a local nursing home, police said. She was concerned for the well-being of her 63-year-old son, Gus Spanoudis.

Officers with help from the St. Petersburg Fire Department forced entry into the apartment around 6 a.m.

Gus Spanoudis was found in the back bedroom of the apartment, the sheriff’s office said. He made several suicidal comments and pointed a gun at Officer Jace Morrow.

Morrow told Spanoudis to drop the gun several times before firing at him.

The suspect was brought to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His family has been notified, the sheriff’s office said.

According to SPPD policy, the officer has been placed on no-duty status during the investigation by the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Taskforce.