PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — State Attorney Bruce Bartlett has officially cleared two Pinellas Park police officers in the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Ryan Lecompte, labeling the use of force “justifiable homicide” under Florida law.
The decision, released Friday morning, follows a weeks-long investigation into the March 31 standoff at a home on Briar Ridge Court North. The incident began just before noon when a caller reported that Lecompte had threatened him with a rifle.
When patrol officers couldn’t get Lecompte to talk, a SWAT team was called in. For several hours, negotiators tried to end the situation peacefully. Eventually, tactical teams used an MRAP armored vehicle to breach the front door and flew a drone inside to find him…