Deputies Gun Down Largo Man Armed with 'Assault Rifle'

Update, May 25, 2:03 p.m.: 

Tampa Bay Times is reporting that the Largo man injured by deputies in a shooting Friday pointed an assault rifle at them. Anthony Gonzalez, 26, of Largo, is accused of exiting the vehicle, attempted to scale a fence, then pointed the rifle at the two deputies.

The deputies, one of whom was armed with a handgun, the other with a rifle, opened fire on Gonzalez. 

Deputies are reporting that Gonzalez was looking for someone who ripped him off, the Times reports, and that the driver of the SUV is Anthony Gonzalez's mother. 

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A Largo man is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after sustaining multiple gun shot wounds from deputies who believed he had an assault rifle. 

Anthony Gonzalez, 26, is undergoing treatment at Bayfront Medical Center.

The Pinellas County Sheriffs deputies involved — Steven Smith, 29, and Mark Douglas, 46 — are not injured, authorities report. But they have been put on paid administrative leave, which is routine when a shooting occurs.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is reporting that Douglas and Smith were responding to a call of a man in a black SUV, armed with what appeared to be an AR-15 in the area of 119th St. N. in Largo at around 8:30 p.m. Friday.

The two deputies attempted to stop a vehicle matching the description as it was traveling south on 119th St. N, according to the sheriff's office. The 60-year-old driver of the SUV, Pamela Gonzalez, pulled over to the side of the road, and passenger Anthony Gonzalez got out and attempted to jump a nearby fence, authorities report. 

Deputies confronted the man and shot him several times.

At this time, the man is reported hospitalized, but not in custody.

Deputy Steven Smith was hired into the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in October. Deputy Mark Douglas was hired in January. 

The investigation is ongoing.

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