Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
Patrol Operations Bureau
Investigative Operations Bureau
-Robbery/Homicide Unit

Stanley D. Eversole (Suspect- Deceased)
DOB: 06/20/1961
252 Whisper Lake Road, Palm Harbor

Lora E. Richter (Witness- Uninjured)
DOB: 04/24/1963
252 Whisper Lake Road, Palm Harbor

Lisa Sampietro (Witness- Uninjured)
DOB: 02/13/1976
1203 Sheridan Road, Clearwater

Mary Jo Barranco (Witness- Uninjured)
DOB: 01/02/1947
2609 Ridge Lane, Palm Harbor

Corporal Casey Hunter (Uninjured)
Age: 35
Date of Hire: 03/19/2003

Deputy Brian Sudbrink (Uninjured)
Age: 47
Date of Hire: 01/14/2004

What:
Detectives assigned to the Robbery/Homicide Unit are investigating a deputy involved shooting that fatally injured a man after he pointed a crossbow at deputies in Palm Harbor.

Where:
The incident occurred at a residence located at 252 Whisper Lake Road in Palm Harbor.

When:
The incident occurred at about 7p.m. on Thursday, December 22, 2016.

Why/How:
According to detectives, deputies responded to a residence located 252 Whisper Lake Road at about 6:50 p.m. on December 22, 2016. The caller, 40-year-old Lisa Sampietro, informed deputies that the residents, 55-year-old Stanley Eversole and his girlfriend 53-year-old Lora Richter, had been arguing earlier in the week.

Detectives say that during the course of the argument, Eversole became upset and threatened Richter with a crossbow. Eversole warned Richter that if she called the police he was going to kill the cops that showed up. Richter never reported the incident to law enforcement.

On December 22, 2016, Richter was in communication through text messages with her friend, 63-year-old Mary Jo Barranco. Barranco became concerned for Richter's safety and sent her daughter, Sampietro, over to Richter's residence to check on her.

When Sampietro drove by Richter's residence, she witnessed Eversole standing outside in the front yard holding what she believed was a rifle or shotgun.

Sampietro called the Sheriff's Office and informed deputies that Eversole was upset and armed with a rifle or shotgun.

When deputies arrived at the residence, they made contact with Richter who had just returned home.  While speaking with Richter outside the residence, one deputy went to the backyard and peered through a window at the home. Deputies observed Eversole inside the residence with a crossbow in his hand. The crossbow was cocked with an arrow in it.

Detectives say that two deputies were standing on the exterior northeast corner of the residence assessing the situation, when Eversole exited the home armed with the loaded crossbow.

Corporal Casey Hunter and Deputy Brain Sudbrink were across the street, east of the residence covering the two deputies nearest the home, when Eversole leveled the crossbow and pointed the weapon at the two deputies in a threatening manner.

Fearing that the deputy's lives were in danger, Corporal Hunter and Deputy Sudbrink both fired their semi-automatic rifles multiple times, striking Eversole three to four times.

Eversole was transported to Bayfront Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Next of kin has been notified.

Corporal Hunter and Deputy Sudbrink will be placed on routine paid administrative leave.

The investigation continues.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri's press conference can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/XxGzZowYR1I

Stanley Eversole's crossbow.