Sheriff rules police taser death in St. Petersburg an excusable homicide

A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office investigation determined that the August death of 48-year-old Brian Michael Pepal, who died after a confrontation with St. Petersburg police during a wellness check, is classified as an “excusable homicide” under Florida law, meaning prosecutors will not bring charges. Body-camera video released by Sheriff Bob Gualtieri shows Pepal exiting his apartment, punching an officer and pushing two officers into parked cars before Officers Daniel Poveda and Tammy Craig repeatedly deployed Tasers while ordering him to surrender.

After being handcuffed and restrained face-down, Pepal stopped breathing; the medical examiner listed traumatic asphyxiation with contributing health conditions as the cause of death. State Attorney Bruce Bartlett wrote that the officers’ response was reasonable given Pepal’s actions. Pepal had been placed under the Baker Act twice in the past two years and suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and earlier that morning he had threatened violence, prompting police to decline civilian mental-health responders.