SEMINOLE, Fla. — A Seminole woman committed suicide during a four hour standoff with Pinellas County deputies on Tuesday, November 27, according to the sheriff's office.
- Woman commits suicide during standoff with deputies
- Deputies called to home for a battery complaint
- Woman pointed gun at deputies, led to standoff
The incident first occurred around 3:24 p.m. at a home located at 9549 86th Avenue North where deputies were called for a battery complaint.
According to the report, Jason Suhadolnik, 44, told deputies he was working on his truck in front of his townhome when his neighbor, Cheryl Karpinecz, 65, who he said was angry, confronted him about working on the truck. After the two got into a verbal argument, Suhadolnik said Karpinecz punched him in the chest. After Suhadolnik said he was going to call police, Karpinecz went back inside her home at 9535 86th Avenue North.
After deputies arrived and began speaking to Suhadolnik about the incident, one of the deputies walked over to the front door of Karpinecz's home to speak with her about the alleged battery. When he reached the front door he saw Karpinecz pointing a silver revolver handgun at him through the sliding glass door.
As the deputy ran for cover and yelled for help, Karpinecz opened the front door and stood in the doorway, refusing to follow they deputies' commands. After a few minutes, Karpinecz retreated back inside her home.
Officials said the deputies never discharged their weapons and began to set a perimeter around the home. They spent more than four hours trying to communicate with Karpinecz, but she never responded. After the SWAT team arrived around 8:20 p.m., they made entry into the home where they found Karpinecz deceased on a bed with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head.
No one else was injured in the incident.
Officials said Karpinecz has a history of mental health issues and Baker Acts.
Here is a press conference from the sheriff's office on the incident: