Suspect dead, deputy shot 3 times when burglary becomes a gunfight, Florida cops say

A Florida sheriff’s deputy survived being shot three times when a car burglary call evolved into a backyard gunfight, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.

The man accused of firing the shots, 23-year-old Zion Bostick, was killed when another deputy returned fire, police said in a news release.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Matthew Aitken, 40, was listed in stable condition Monday, March 13, with 9 mm gunshot wounds to the neck, hand and leg, officials said.

Sergeant Jacob Viano, 49, with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office was identified as the officer who shot Bostick. He is on administrative leave pending an investigation, officials said.

The shooting happened shortly before 7 p.m. on March 12 when deputies were alerted to a vehicle burglary on 60th Avenue North, in an unincorporated area of Pinellas County.

A suspect was spotted by Aitken and his dog, Taco, and they began tracking the man on foot through a wooded area into a fenced backyard, officials said.

“Aitken saw the suspect attempting to conceal himself around an exterior corner of the house (and) verbally challenged the suspect,” the police department reports.

“The suspect immediately fired several rounds at Corporal Aitken, hitting him three times. Sergeant Viano saw the suspect shoot Corporal Aitken and then the suspect turned and immediately fired multiple rounds at Sergeant Viano, who was able to duck out of the way. Sergeant Viano regained his footing and fired back.”

Bostick was struck and died at the scene, officials said. A warrant had been issued for his arrest March 7 when he did not show up for a court hearing, and he was facing the possibility of five years in prison, police said.

Aitken was taken to Bayfront Health in St. Petersburg, where he underwent surgery, officials said. He has been with the department since 2006.

Investigators report Bostick was found in possession of two guns, one reported stolen out of Manatee County in 2018.

Viano, who was hired in November 2000, is credited with saving Aitken’s life with his quick arrival, officials said.

St. Petersburg police are leading the investigation into the shooting “through the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force,” officials said.

This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Suspect dead, deputy shot 3 times when burglary becomes a gunfight, Florida cops say."