BSO Sheriff Scott Israel Calls Suspect's Fatal Shooting Justified; Shooting Under Investigation

Broward Sheriff's Office homicide detectives are investigating a deadly deputy shooting of a suspect on Tuesday afternoon. According to a BSO report, a deputy was on his way to patrol Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when he spotted a man driving recklessly on I-95 near Cypress Creek Road around 4:30 Tuesday morning.

The deputy pulled over the suspect on Commercial Boulevard. The man, a 24-year-old whose identity has yet to be released by BSO, had apparently been in violation of parole, BSO says. As the officer was getting ready to take the man into custody for the parole violation and several traffic violations, the man fled in his car. The deputy called in DUI detectives to request assistance.

BSO ran the suspect's tag and tracked him down to his home in Oakland Park. Around noon Tuesday, another deputy spotted the suspect's car in Oakland Park. The man was reportedly driving southbound on Dixie Highway. That officer tried to get the man to pull over, but the suspect once again fled. 

That's when BSO's Violence Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response (VIPER) unit was called in to try to track down the suspect. BSO says that around 2:30 p.m., a VIPER unit found the suspect and followed him to an apartment complex. The report says the suspect tried to get away a third time in his car. When a VIPER officer demanded the suspect get out of the vehicle and surrender, the man refused. 

According to BSO, the man reached for a gun. An officer tried to subdue the suspect and take his gun, which led to the VIPER officer shooting the suspect.

"One of the VIPER detectives identified himself as a law enforcement officer and tried to get the suspect to surrender, but he did not comply and would not get out of the vehicle," the BSO report says. "The two got into a brief physical struggle over the suspect’s gun, which resulting in the detective firing his service firearm multiple times."

The suspect was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. 

In a press conference afterwards, BSO Sheriff Scott Israel said that the suspect and officer got into a physical struggle, which gave the officer authority to shoot the man.

"In my estimation, it looks like a justified shooting," Israel said.

"The deputy reached with one hand between the suspect's legs, having his other hand on his own firearm. He clearly saw the subject had a firearm and was trying to produce the firearm and the deputy fired," Israel added.

BSO says the shooting remains under investigation.