A Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy who said he was fighting for his life when he shot a handcuffed man at John's Pass Dec. 30, is now charged with attempted manslaughter.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says Deputy Tim Verdin's story just did not add up.
Dash-cam video released by the sheriff's office shows two deputies arresting 26-year-old Dylan Tompkins-Holmes, moving him to the back seat of Verdin's cruiser.
In the video, Tompkins-Holmes appears to be drunk, mouthy, and allegedly interfering with a sobriety test the deputies were performing on his girlfriend.
Moments later, off-camera, but with the audio still running, words are exchanged and then, suddenly, the sound of two gunshots.
WATCH: Dash cam video of traffic stop. Warning: Explicit language.
Vernon claimed Tompkins-Holmes tried to grab his service gun, but within 48 hours, the deputy's story of self-defense started to unravel.
"There is no evidence of any struggle," said Sheriff Gualtieri, "There's no evidence of anybody reaching for a gun."
Deputy Verdin had claimed Tompkins-Holmes, whose hands were behind his back, whose pants had fallen down, and whose body was wedged against the backseat of Deputy Verdin's cruiser, was somehow able to unholster and then grab the deputy's weapon.
It's a struggle that a second deputy who was standing just feet away, said never occurred.
"While handcuffed, being able to do this, this, and this," Gualtieri demonstrated, "and then get the gun out? Didn't happen."
Gualtieri said three separate investigations all reach the same conclusion.
On Wednesday, Verdin was charged with attempted manslaughter, and was fired from his job at the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
At John's Pass in Madeira Beach, where the shooting occurred, there was a little sympathy for Verdin, even though he was described as a model law enforcement officer. He also had a clean history with the sheriff's office and the St. Petersburg Police Department before that.
"Well, whoever it is, the truth should come out," said resident Mike Kukral.
"The guy has to pay for what he did, you know?" added Natalia Solar, a store manager at the popular John's Pass Shopping Village.
"I'm believe Tim Verdin is a good man, and a deputy that dedicated his professional life to law-enforcement," said Sheriff Gualtieri, "And by all accounts, up to this point, had an excellent performance record."
Tompkins-Holmes continues to recover from his injuries. Sheriff Gualtieri said the charges against him, and his girlfriend who was originally pulled over that night have all been dropped.
While Gualtieri claims his department is not civilly liable for the alleged criminal actions of deputies, the sheriff says he has offered to pay Tompkins-Holmes' medical bills—calling it "the right thing to do."
You can watch the press conference Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held Friday afternoon on this case below.
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