ARMED MAN SHOT IN CONFRONTATION WITH POLICE OFFICER

An armed man who confronted a uniformed Clearwater Police Officer early Sunday behind a Drew Street nightclub was shot when he threatened the Officer with a handgun, Chief Sid Klein announced this morning.

The man - whose identity has not been established - was pronounced dead at the scene by Clearwater Fire Department paramedics, minutes after the 1:36 a.m. event.

No one else was injured during the brief confrontation in a parking lot to the rear of a strip center at 2097 Drew Street. Two males who were in the car with the man who was shot are being interviewed by Clearwater Police Criminal Investigations Detectives as of the time of this release.

According to Investigators, Detective Steven Corrao was working (in uniform) an off-duty job at Jose’s nightclub when he learned of a BOLO for a white car connected to an assault call on U.S. 19. Sometime later, a car matching the description of the BOLOed car pulled into the rear parking lot of the strip mall. As Detective Corrao approached the car to investigate, a man - believed to be in his 20s - got out of the car, brandishing a handgun, and confronted Detective Corrao in the lighted parking lot; the man was shot at least once.

Additional Clearwater Police Officers arrived within moments, and paramedics were summoned.

Detective Steven Corrao is a 33-year-old, 7-year veteran of the Clearwater Police Department; he has been placed on paid Administrative Leave, in accordance with department policy, pending the outcome of two independent but parallel investigations by Clearwater Police Detectives.

Criminal Investigations Division Detectives will examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and Detectives with the Office of Professional Standards (Internal Affairs) will look into Detective Corrao’s compliance with department policies and procedures during the fatal encounter. A Shooting Board will convene to review the facts and circumstances surrounding the pre-dawn event.

The Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office is also conducting an investigation into the shooting, and had officials at the scene Sunday morning.

Clearwater Police Detectives and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Forensics specialists worked throughout the morning, processing the scene of the shooting. No one else was injured, and no other Officers fired their weapons. A chrome semi-automatic handgun brandished by the subject was recovered at the scene.

The dead man’s identity will be established during an autopsy conducted by the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s Office; the same procedure will determine the man’s wounds and specific cause of death.

This is the extent of information available regarding this investigation at this time. Additional facts will be made public as circumstances warrant. For additional details, please contact Public Information Officer Wayne Shelor at 727-562-4333.

/s/
Lieutenant Mark Teunis
Assistant Commander: Criminal Investigations Division