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Largo Man Shot By Police After Pulling Knife

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TBO.com

Published: December 6, 2008

Largo - Largo police shot and wounded a 36-year-old man this morning after he pointed a knife and then a replica of a handgun at them, officials said.

Tony Wright Jr. of Largo was treated at a local hospital and charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, Lt. Edward Sohoski said.

His bail was set at $20,000, according to jail records.

According to Sohoski, police received a 911 call about 12:12 a.m. from a man walking on 8th Avenue SW who claimed to have a gun and a knife. He said he didn't want to live anymore and "wanted to get shot," Sohoski said in a news release.

The man also said that "he would point the gun at cops to make them shoot him," the release states.

During this call, dispatchers received a related call from the man's fiancé, who was not with him but said he had told her he was going to pull his BB gun on the police so they would shoot him, Sohoski said.

Roughly 10 minutes after the initial call, Largo police officers Lauren Bailey and Nick Cusumano found the man carrying a knife about 8 inches long on 8th Avenue SW near Taylor Park, police said.

At first, he ignored their commands to drop the knife and approached them, police said. Then he put down the knife and drew what appeared to be a handgun from his waistband; when he pointed it at the officers, police shot him.

The gun turned out to be a Marksman BB gun, which is a realistic replica of a black semi-automatic handgun, police said.

Bailey and Cusumano each have worked for the Largo Police Department for four years.

In accordance with department policy, they were placed on paid administrative leave while the department reviews the circumstances of the shooting.

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