Police were dispatched to the area because they received a tip that Dove and other men were using drugs. Dove was with four other men when officers arrived. Police said they told the men to leave and all but Dove obeyed. Dove became confrontational and threw a punch at an officer, Patrick McGovern, a 21-year veteran of the department. Officers struggled with Dove for several minutes before they used a Taser twice in an effort to restrain him. He died a short time later.
Victim's Name: Joshua George Dove
Agency Responsible: St. Petersburg Police Department
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Race: White
Date of Death: January 4, 2017
County: Pinellas
Cause of Death: Taser
Official Disposition: Pending investigation/No Known Charges
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Drug or alcohol use
Armed: Unarmed/Did Not Have an Actual Weapon
Weapon: unarmed
Threat Level: attack
Fleeing: Not fleeing
Geography: Urban