PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The State Attorney's Office released the results of their investigation into a shooting that left a Pinellas County deputy in the hospital and a 23-year-old man dead.
On March 12, a sergeant and the deputy chased a man, identified as 23-year-old Zion Bostick, who was accused by a witness of trying to break into several cars.
Bostick reportedly ran behind a local church and continued through the woods into a neighborhood. This was when K-9 Corporal Matthew Aitken and K-9 Taco began to track the man.
When authorities caught up to him, they saw him trying to hide around the corner of a house, according to the police department. After trying to talk to the 23-year-old, police say Bostick shot at law enforcement and hit Aitken.
The deputy was shot in the neck, hand and leg, according to St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway.
Sgt. Jacob Viano, who police say was also shot at three times, was able to duck out of the way of bullets and fire back.
After the shooting stopped, Aitken was transported to Bayfront Health, and Bostick was pronounced dead at the scene.
State Attorney Bruce Bartlett concluded in a letter that was sent to Sheriff Bob Gaultieri stating:
I have determined that K-9 Deputy Matthew Aitken and Sergeant Jacob Viano were in the lawful performance of their legal duties when they pursued Zion Bostick for the felony charge of Burglary to a Conveyance when they confronted Bostick at the rear of the residence at 6385 60th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, and commanded Bostick to raise his hands.
When Bostick responded by shooting Deputy Aitken three times and shooting at Sergeant Viano three times, Sergeant Viano was justified in utilizing deadly force to kill Bostick who was engaged in the forcible felony of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.
Therefore, it is the conclusion of the Office of the State Attorney that the death of Zion Bostick was justifiable homicide pursuant to F.S. 776.05(1), F.S. 776.012 and F.S. 776.032.
Aitken was discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon, according to a previous news release. He was at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg receiving treatment for gunshot wounds to his leg, arm and neck from the shooting.
"It's because of...[Viano], who he is and what he did, that the outcome here wasn't different," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri previously said during a news conference. "If Viano hadn't run with [Aitken], he wouldn't be here today because Viano was able to kill this guy before he fired additional rounds into [the deputy] when he was laying on the ground."