PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — An armed man shot and killed by a Pinellas Park police officer sent threatening texts to his ex-girlfriend before showing up at her house, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office reports.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held a news conference on Wednesday to release more details into what led to yesterday's deadly shooting.
Investigators learned that 36-year-old Jared Rudderham had been texting back and forth with his ex-girlfriend all day Monday expressing his jealousy surrounding her relationships with other men.
In one text message, Rudderham wrote, "I'm going to kill everyone," according to the sheriff.
Gualtieri said the woman had stopped communicating with Rudderham until about 1 a.m., when he showed up at her grandmother's Pinellas Park home, where she was living, and began tapping on her window.
She reportedly described Rudderham as "scary calm" and she communicated with him by cellphone, but refused to go outside. The woman called her mother, who decided to call Pinellas Park police.
According to Gualtieri, Rudderham was making suicidal threats on the phone as he was pacing back and forth in the backyard.
The sheriff explained that the woman told Rudderham police were on the way, to which he responded, "I guess it's popping," — slang for "things are about to get really bad."
Just one minute later, at 1:03 a.m., Officer Cameron Williams began approaching Rudderham in the backyard when Rudderham pulled a semi-automatic Glock 19 pistol from his waistband and began racking it, according to the sheriff's office.
Williams' body camera footage shows the officer saying "Jared" twice before Rudderham pulls out the gun.
In response, Officer Williams fired five rounds, shooting Rudderham four times. Gualtieri said Rudderham was killed by a gunshot to the head.
Further investigation revealed that Rudderham had 28 rounds of ammo on him, though he was not known to regularly carry around his firearm. He also had a lengthy criminal history, including charges for burglary, aggravated domestic assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment.
Officer Williams has been placed on leave, as is protocol with officer-involved shootings.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24/7 at 800-799-7233. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.