A Palm Harbor man was arrested and accused of shooting a flare gun at a neighbor. The deputy was not injured, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

PALM HARBOR – A woman was injured and a Palm Harbor man was arrested after a deputy-involved shooting Monday (Nov 5), the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

Gwen Stubbs, 42, was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to her left arm.

Deputy Joseph Wodraska, 29, will be placed on paid, administrative leave until an investigation is completed. He has worked for the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office since May 18, 2015.

Joshua Dante D’Anastasio, 39, of Palm Harbor, was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated battery with a firearm.

Deputies were initially called to the scene –  an apartment at 2480 Cypress Point Road in Palm Harbor – about 9:23 a.m. Deputies returned to the scene to continue their investigation at about 12:17 p.m. The shooting happened about 2 p.m.

According to sheriff’s detectives, at about 9:23 a.m. Wodraska was called to the scene for a report of a vandalized vehicle. When he arrived, he spoke with the complainant, 27-year-old Gia Tomossone. Tomossone told deputies that someone had broken out the windows to her Cadillac parked in the apartment complex lot behind her residence.

Wodraska conducted a neighborhood canvas to see if any of the neighbors knew who damaged Tomossone’s vehicle. Wodraska spoke with D’Anastasio, who lived in the second floor apartment next door to Tomossone. Deputies said D’Anastasio denied knowing anything about Tomossone’s damaged vehicle.

Wodraska left after conducting his investigation and suggested Tomossone contact the Sheriff’s Office if she received information on who may have damaged her vehicle.

Detectives said that, about 12:17 p.m., Wodraska was called back to Tomossone’s residence after she and her boyfriend, 33 year-old Kevin King, said they saw D’Anastasio acting suspiciously and hiding a blunt object in the dumpster near their apartment.

Wodraska returned and called for a forensic science specialist to come process potential evidence.

Detectives said Wodraska was speaking with Tomossone at the rear of her apartment near the parking lot when D’Anastasio came out onto his second floor rear balcony and began yelling at Wodraska. Wodraska ignored D’Anastasio and continued talking with Tomossone.

At the same time, Tomossone’s boyfriend, King, was next door out on his second floor rear balcony when D’Anastasio began yelling and threatening King.

D’Anastasio and King were arguing over the balconies when D’Anastasio told King he had something for him. Deputies said D’Anastasio walked back into his apartment and
returned to the balcony with his arm extended towards King holding what Wodraska believed to be a gun.

Detectives said Wodraska saw the muzzle flash and heard the gun go off as D’Anastasio discharged the gun at King. Wodraska said he was in fear for the safety of King, Tomossone, and himself when he returned fire at D’Anastasio and fired multiple rounds from his department-issued handgun.

Wodraska’s rounds missed D’Anastasio and shattered a sliding glass door behind D’Anastasio. As deputies were challenging D’Anastasio on his balcony, D’Anastasio’s girlfriend, Stubbs, came out of the apartment bleeding.

Deputies took D’Anastasio into custody without incident and gave medical aid to Stubbs. Paramedics took Stubbs to a local hospital for injuries consistent with a gunshot wound to her left arm.

Detectives said they recovered the gun D’Anastasio discharged at King and found that it was a flare gun.

Detectives said Wodraska never saw Stubbs because she was inside D’Anastasio’s apartment behind the sliding glass door at the time of the shooting.

PInellas Sheriff | Crime | Arrests | Deputy-Involved Shooting | Tampabay News

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