Investigation results of a Central Florida officer-involved shooting were released by the State Attorney’s office.
The investigation involved the Pinellas Park Police Department officer-involved shooting of 42-year-old Eric Ton.
Detectives assigned to the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force were investigating the officer-involved shooting in the City of Pinellas Park.
Earlier this month, Pinellas Park Police officers responded to 4370 82nd Avenue North for a Keep the Peace call. The caller was the homeowner of the residence, which is a short-term rental property, and asked for assistance with getting the renter to leave.
According to detectives, 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. Officers attempted several more times to make contact with him by phone; however, he did not answer.
Officers formed a contact team with less-lethal (beanbag) rounds and a shield and made entry into the residence on the west side, through the garage door. The suspect was in the living room area and refused to follow commands to drop the knife. Officers used less lethal rounds; however, the suspect still refused to follow commands. Detectives say the suspect struck Corporal Graham Fox with the knife in the upper left shoulder. 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.
Officer Fox sustained a minor laceration to his upper right shoulder.
In a letter sent to Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, State Attorney Bruce Barlett stated, “As a result of the investigation conducted by this Office, I have determined that Officer Greyson Ekdahl-McBride was in the lawful performance of his legal duties when he entered the residence, owned by David Ponte, to vacate a guest who had armed himself and refused to vacate the Airbnb after his scheduled termination date. Despite Pinellas Park Police Department’s efforts to de-escalate the situation, Mr. Ton ignored numerous commands to exit peacefully or be arrested for Armed Trespassing. Once law enforcement was inside the home, Mr. Ton ignored commands to drop the knife and continued to approach the officers in an aggressive manner. At that point, Mr. Ton was committing the forcible felonies of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Aggravated Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer, and Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. Corporal Fox was in fear for his life and the lives of his fellow officers. Officer Ekdahl-McBride feared for the life of Corporal Fox as well as for himself and his fellow officers. Officer Ekdahl-McBride was justified in using deadly force by firing his weapon in order to end the imminent and deadly threat by Eric Ton.”
The State Attorney’s Office concluded that the death of Eric Ton was justifiable homicide, pursuant to Florida Statute 776.012, 776.032, 776.05(1), and 782.02.
In 2020, the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force was created to ensure the investigations conducted into law enforcement use of deadly force are thorough, complete, and objective. The purpose of this task force is to make sure that officer-involved shootings in Pinellas County are investigated by an independent agency and not by the agency involved in the use of deadly force.
