BSO: Police-Involved Shooting After Teen Driver Tries Running Over Deputy
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POMPANO BEACH (CBSMiami) - An investigation is underway after a Broward Sheriff's deputy was involved in a shooting in Pompano Beach.
It started just after the morning commute. A license plate reader notified the Broward Sheriff's Office of a stolen car in Pompano Beach, so a deputy went to pull over the sedan.
"He exited his marked vehicle, as he would a thousand times a day, as a normal traffic stop is done throughout the nation," said Sheriff Scott Israel. "He inexplicably, the driver of this vehicle, backed his vehicle into to strike our deputy. Fearing for his life, the deputy actually dove back into his vehicle."
Moments later, another deputy, in another car, drew his weapon and fired.
"When we come out of the shop I just hear gunshots, 'bah, bah, bah, bah,'" explained witness Louis Mohorn. "We like damn what is going on?"
BSO said the 17-year-old driver put the car in drive and made it 10 blocks away before they appeared to have lost control – crashing the car in the 800 block of Hammondville Road, just a few blocks East of I-95.
"I heard the bang, bang. I look up the tan car was doing 360s and then he landed right there," said another witness Will Stiles. "By that time I was always running up here to see if he was OK, he was already out of the car running."
Authorities set a perimeter and found the suspect shortly after.
"When we took the subject into custody, the subject had a bullet wound to, I believe, his shoulder area," Israel said.
The suspect was taken to the hospital and released a short time later.
He is being charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and grand theft.
"He was a good boy. They didn't need all these police out here to try and kill him," said neighbor Nicole Jones.
The deputy, who may suffered a minor leg injury, was taken to Broward Health Imperial Point.
In a rare move, Sheriff Israel elected to have FDLE investigate the shooting – a move done in light of national tension over law enforcement shootings.
Israel says this will become their protocol.
"From this point forward, they will be investigating all Broward Sheriff police-involved shootings," he said.
This is the second shooting in a week for BSO.
On Friday, deputies shot and killed 55-year-old Gregory Frazier during a domestic disturbance call.
Deputies arrived and were directed to the backyard where they confronted Frazier, who was reportedly armed with a pocket knife.
"He was armed with a knife," said Sheriff Israel. "A confrontation happened and both deputies fired shots. The subject, tragically, was pronounced deceased on the scene."
