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There were 772 cases of police shootings between 2009 and 2014. Use the filters below to find cases that match a certain set of criteria.

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May 27, 2014 — Tampa

Jason Westcott, 29, the target of an undercover drug operation, was shot by police during a raid of his Seminole Heights home.

Tampa PD

A tipster said he had purchased $160 worth of marijuana from Westcott over four months. When a SWAT team stormed Westcott's house, he pulled his gun and aimed it at officers, authorities said.

Officers Edwin Perez and Eric Wasierski opened fire. Westcott was hit twice by a shotgun (including a fatal round to his torso) and once by a pistol. Read more

Police found two-tenths of an ounce of marijuana, worth $2. His live-in boyfriend, also suspected of dealing drugs, was not arrested. Police found a scale, baggies and jars with marijuana residue. Later, the informant told the Tampa Bay Times that he habitually lied to police, including in the Westcott case.

A family lawyer said Westcott and his boyfriend's use was recreational and they sold only to friends.

This was the 59th police shooting in Florida in 2014.

Five days earlier, two officers shot one person in Orlando .

One day later, two officers shot one person in Riverview .

4 ways this case compares to others

  1. A SWAT or tactical team was involved in the incident. Tactical teams are involved in 7 percent of police shootings.
  2. Officers approached Westcott after he was suspected of committing a minor crime. That’s true in 1 of every 12 cases.
  3. Westcott was armed with a firearm. That’s true of almost half the people shot.
  4. Westcott pointed a weapon at officers. Twenty-eight percent of shootings involved people who police say pointed a weapon at them.

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