Man refusing to leave vacation rental is fatally shot by officer, FL sheriff says
A “confrontational” man staying at a vacation rental home near Tampa, Florida, was fatally shot when he stabbed one of the police officers sent to evict him, according to investigators.
The dispute happened just before noon on Sunday, Oct. 5, at a home in Pinellas Park, about 20-mile drive southeast from Tampa.
“The homeowner of the residence, which is a short-term rental property, and asked for assistance with getting the renter to leave,” the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
“When officers knocked on the door to make contact with the suspect, he answered the door with a knife in his hand and became very confrontational. The suspect then shut the door and began to barricade himself inside. Officers made contact with the suspect via telephone; however, he would not exit the residence.“
A standoff followed, with Pinellas Park police officers making an estimated 40 calls, texts and voicemails asking him to leave the single-family home, officials said at a press conference.
Deputies armed with weapons loaded with beanbag rounds entered the home through a garage door and confronted the man in the living room, officials said.
“The suspect still refused to follow commands. Detectives say the suspect struck Corporal Graham Fox with the knife in the upper left shoulder,” the sheriff’s office said.
“At this time, Officer Greyson Ekdahl-McBride fired several rounds, striking the suspect in the upper body. The suspect was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”
The identity of the man has not been released. His last known address was “in the region,” officials said.
Fox, 49, sustained a minor cut to his upper right shoulder, officials said.
No one else was found in the home, officials said.
The home is listed as a “luxury rustic retreat” on Infotel.
This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 7:20 AM with the headline "Man refusing to leave vacation rental is fatally shot by officer, FL sheriff says."