Detectives from the Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force are investigating a deputy-involved shooting that occurred early Tuesday morning in Clearwater.
The incident happened at approximately 1:59 a.m. on February 3, 2026, near 2137 Capri Drive. Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy said the department is the lead agency in the investigation.
According to authorities, a 911 call was received reporting an unknown problem. The caller was evasive with 911 operators and hung up. Deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office responded and encountered a woman who stated she was armed with a handgun and kept her hands concealed inside a jacket. After learning she claimed to be armed, deputies retreated to a safe location.
Deputies attempted to negotiate with the woman while establishing a contact team. During that time, deputies were unable to see her. About 18 minutes later, the woman appeared in the roadway. Deputies ordered her to show her hands as she approached. Initially moving slowly, she then advanced more rapidly toward the deputies and suddenly pulled an object from her jacket.
The object was later identified as a Cordless Screwdriver. Two deputies fired their weapons. It was determined that the woman suffered a single gunshot wound. No deputies were injured during the incident.
The woman was identified as 40-year-old Meaghan Ratcliffe. She was flown by helicopter to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. She reportedly was in surgery, but her condition has not been released.
Based on some of her statements to deputies, including “It ends tonight,” Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy said it appears the woman was intent on suicide by law enforcement.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Danzig said the two deputies involved have been placed on routine administrative leave, in accordance with agency policy.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional information will be posted as it becomes available from the Task Force.
In a prior December 2025 case, Ratcliffe was arrested in connection with a Dec. 10, 2025, fire at an apartment on Canterbury Lane, according to an arrest affidavit. Investigators said a bedroom closet stacked with clothing was set on fire and that the closet door had been laid across to help the flames spread. The affidavit states the resident reported he had argued with Ratcliffe before noticing the fire and escaping with two dogs. A fire official said Ratcliffe later told him she was sorry and would need a lawyer. She was taken to Largo Medical Center for burns to her forearms and abdomen, and the affidavit lists the allegation as arson of an occupied structure.
The Pinellas County Use of Deadly Force Investigative Task Force was established in 2020 to conduct independent investigations of law enforcement use-of-deadly-force incidents. The task force is intended to ensure investigations are thorough, complete, and handled by an agency not involved in the use of deadly force.