Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Indian Rocks Beach City Hall building located at 1507 Bay Palm Boulevard in Indian Rocks Beach, for a report of a disturbance at approximately 9:03 a.m. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.
The caller to 911 reported that an employee, 52 year-old Errol Sylvester Gray of Wesley Chapel, was attacking people at the location then fled from the scene in a city owned flatbed truck.
Deputies located the Heavy Duty Ford F-450 flatbed city owned truck traveling southbound on Gulf Boulevard at 10th Avenue North. Deputies initiated a felony traffic stop and made contact with Gray, the only occupant in the truck.
Deputies say that Gray was uncooperative and resisted their efforts to detain him. Deputies took Gray into custody without further incident.
Through the course of the investigation, deputies learned that Gray worked in the Public Works Department for the City of Indian Rocks Beach. Gray was meeting with a supervisor at city hall when he was informed that he was being terminated.
Witnesses told deputies that Gray became angry and battered the 58-year-old male victim causing injury to the victim. Gray then approached the 50-year-old female victim who witnessed the incident and battered her before exiting the building.
Deputies say several witnesses heard the commotion inside the office area and ran outside to the front of the city hall building.
Witnesses say Gray got into a Ford F-450 flatbed truck and started driving westbound on 15th Avenue North. Gray made a U-turn in the truck and returned to the entrance of the city hall building where he drove towards four women who were standing in front of the city hall. The four victims ran from the flatbed truck and retreated back into city hall.
Gray fled the scene in the truck and was apprehended by deputies minutes later.
The victims told deputies that Gray drove the truck directly towards them as if he intended to strike them.
When deputies interviewed Gray, he admitted to battering two employees inside city hall. He also told deputies he intended to drive the flatbed truck into city hall and into the city manager’s office.
The 58-year-old male victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No other victims were injured.
Gray was charged with four counts of Aggravated Assault with a Motor Vehicle, one count of Aggravated Battery, one count of Battery, and one count of Resisting Officer without Violence.
He was transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
The investigation continues.