Florida’s Boca Raton police officer fatally shot a man on Wednesday morning, as reported by CBS News. The incident occurred just before 11.30 am on NW 2nd Avenue, near NW 2nd Street and Palmetto Park Road.
While police have not yet provided details on what led to the shooting, CBS News Miami confirmed that the officer involved was uninjured. Authorities have not released the identity of the deceased.
Witnesses described the events unfolding quickly. They reported hearing the officer shout commands at a man, who appeared to be homeless, urging him to comply. “Hey! Stop, I’m going to tase you,” and “Get on the ground,” the officer reportedly said, according to CBS News. However, the man did not follow the instructions.
Witnesses said the officer then tased the man twice before he lunged at the officer, prompting the officer to fire three shots. Within seconds, other officers arrived at the scene and began performing CPR on the man.
Nicholas Cavallo, a local resident for 14 years, was shaken by the incident. “My kids walk the street where this happened, and one of them heard the gunfire,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like this happen here.”
The intersection of 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street was reopened around 4.35 pm by the Boca Raton police department.
As is customary in police shooting cases, the FDLE has taken over the investigation.