A Florida man killed his mother and tried to kill cops. Deputies shot him down, cops say
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After killing his mother early morning Saturday, a Pinellas County man pointed a shotgun at deputies who opened fire at him, deputies said.
At about 2:25 a.m., deputies responded to a call about a home in Safety Harbor. A person had called the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office from Illinois saying his friend, 35-year-old John Clark, called and told him he just shot his mother at his home.
When deputies arrived and went inside the home, they found 64-year-old Susan Clark dead from a gunshot wound, deputies said.
Detectives say no one else was at the home so they began searching for John Clark.
At about 4:20 a.m., deputies spotted Clark driving on Beacon Place Drive in his mother’s 2012 Volkswagen Eos.
Deputies tried to pull over the Volkswagen, but Clark refused to stop and turned toward the home.
Detectives at the home investigating were standing in the road when Clark slowly drove the Volkswagen through the crime scene, deputies said.
Several deputies ordered Clark to stop the vehicle, but he refused.
When deputies approached the passenger side of the Volkswagen they could see Clark was holding a 12 gauge shotgun on his lap. Deputies ordered Clark to drop the gun and stop the car, but he refused, again.
Detectives said Clark was still driving at a slow speed when he took the shotgun from between his legs and pointed it toward the passenger side window where the deputies were standing.
In fear for their safety, three deputies fired multiple rounds from their handguns.
Deputies pulled Clark out of the Volkswagen and gave him medical aid until paramedics arrived.
No deputies were injured.
Paramedics took Clark to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he died.
The three deputies were placed on paid administrative leave.
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