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Police kill man holding sword

While his brother was being treated for gun shot wounds, Joshua Rosenbloom was killed by officers trying to subdue him.

By LORRI HELFAND and ASHLEE CLARK
Published June 9, 2006

CLEARWATER — Jason Rosenbloom gave his brother, Joshua, three emerald-green samurai-style swords as a reminder of the samurai philosophy of being thankful for little things.

But this week, his brother apparently saw another purpose for them. And the early birthday gift led to a deadly confrontation with police.

Joshua Paul Rosenbloom, 20, was wielding one of the swords inside his apartment Thursday night when Clearwater police shot and killed him. Police at first used a less lethal bean bag projectile, which failed to subdue him, authorities said Friday.

Joshua Rosenbloom was pronounced dead at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg about 90 minutes after the 6:31 p.m. incident.

It also came less than three weeks before his 21st birthday.

The incident occurred three days after Rosenbloom’s brother, Jason, 30, was involved in another shooting. Jason Rosenbloom was shot twice by his next-door neighbor during an argument Monday in Clearwater and is recuperating at the same hospital where his brother died Thursday.

That incident may have contributed to Joshua’s downfall, his relatives say.

Jason and his wife, Sabrina, said Joshua was angry that his big brother was shot by a neighbor and frustrated that there was nothing he could do.

“I think the fact that I was going through what I was going through may have pushed him over the edge,” Jason said Friday from the hospital.

Their mother, Doreen Rosenbloom, also said Joshua was upset about his brother’s altercation, and also about a disagreement with his brother Thursday.

Relatives said Joshua was also depressed about recently losing a job as a server at the Melting Pot restaurant in Clearwater.

“It was a combination of everything,” Doreen Rosenbloom, 50, said. “How much more can a kid take?’’

Doreen Rosenbloom said everything seemed fine Wednesday when Joshua called their home to wish his father, Gary, a happy 51st birthday. Joshua was upbeat during a 90-minute phone conversation, she said.

“There were no signs he was depressed. We talked about movies and what was going on in his life,” she said.
But Joshua’s mood apparently changed Thursday.

About 5:30 p.m., Sabrina Rosenbloom said her brother-in-law was upset because he thought they didn’t trust him to care for their 2-year-old son, Gabriel.

She said Joshua told her, “I’ve had the week from hell. I’ve lost my job, I’ve almost lost my brother.”
They argued, and Sabrina hung up.

Jason said he called his brother, who denied arguing with Sabrina.

At about 6:28 p.m. Joshua’s girlfriend called Clearwater police, concerned that he was suicidal, officials said. The woman, who was not identified, told police Joshua had taken pills, was armed with a sword and she feared he would be dead by the time police arrived.

When officers entered the second-floor unit at Lantana Apartments, at 200 Fairwood Ave., in Clearwater, Joshua was behind a closed door, police said. Officer Robert Furman was carrying a shotgun that fires the bean-bag projectiles, while officer George Phillips carried his department-issued .40-caliber handgun.

Within seconds of entering the apartment, Joshua confronted them with the sword, police said. Furman fired one bean-bag from his weapon; the projectile struck Joshua in the chest, but did not subdue him, according to police.
Phillips then shot him at least once with his handgun, and Joshua Rosenbloom fell to the floor, police said.

“The officers used restraint and took the action they believed necessary,” said police spokesman Wayne Shelor.
Shelor said three separate investigations will examine exactly what happened.

Internal affairs investigators will determine if the officers’ actions complied with department policies and general orders. Clearwater police detectives are investigating the shooting. And the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office is investigating.

Both officers have been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, which is customary in such incidents.

Shelor added that he knew of no other incidents at Joshua’s home or any criminal record for him.

“This was a shock,” Joshua’s mother said, “because he was never in any kind of trouble.”

Jason thinks his brother may have provoked officers in an attempt to kill himself, but his mother doesn’t think so. Jason said he hoped he wasn’t responsible for what happened.

“God, I hope it wasn’t something I did,” Jason said. “I just wish he would have held on a little longer.”

Joshua was born in Dunedin, lived in Holiday and moved to Hudson about ten years ago. He attended Hudson High School and worked as a server at Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon restaurant in Pasco County. He moved to Clearwater about three months ago, his mother said.

His mother said Joshua was a computer wizard, and he wanted to become a psychologist.

Jason said his brother was a good chess player and enjoyed poetry, reading and snorkeling.

“He was shy, but once he warmed up to you, you couldn’t get him to shut up,” Jason said.

His sister, Jennifer Schaefer, 26, said Joshua loved her children, Zoe, 6, and Ian, 3.

“I can’t count how many times he babysat my kids,” Schaefer said. “They are devastated.”

Joshua’s funeral arrangements will be handled by Dobies Funeral Home in Hudson. His survivors include his parents, Doreen and Gary of Hudson, a sister, Jennifer Schaefer of Hudson, a brother, Jason, of Clearwater, and his grandmother, Doreen Errington, also of Hudson.

News researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or lorri@sptimes.com.

[Last modified June 9, 2006, 22:48:32]