Sister: Woman shot by BSO diagnosed with breast cancer

BSO: Deputy shot, killed Linda Sue Davis after she killed Jolene Shamburg

TAMARAC, Fla. – A woman said her sister, who was shot and killed by a Broward Sheriff's Office deputy outside her home in Tamarac Wednesday, suffered from depression and was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

A deputy shot and killed Linda Sue Davis after she pointed a gun toward him in the 4700 block of NW 44th Street about 10:45 a.m. said police. The body of Jolene Shamburg was then found in the driveway of the home.

BSO said Davis shot Shamburg, 75, inside of the house. Davis' sister said she suffered from depression and their mother had died.

Davis was also recently diagnosed with breast cancer, according to her sister.

"It's become really a mental health issue more so than a weapons issue," said Broward County Police Benevolent Association President Jeff Marano.

Since 2008, BSO deputies responded to Davis' home 79 times for various reasons, including suspicious incidents, a mentally ill person, medical calls, information, breaking and entering and disturbances, among other things. Family members said Davis suffered from depression.

"She would throw all of her stuff - furniture, kitchen wear, everything - out into the street," said Betty Price.

"You would hope that dispatch would have some indications that this house had been visited before, whether the person is on medication, that there's a weapon in the house," said Marano.

But would that have changed anything?

"You can only do what the system allows you to do, and that's the Baker Act procedure. And again, we're not doctors, we can't commit somebody," said Marano. "That would have to be done by a court order or by a doctor that would have to put somebody physically into an institution."

Davis' family said she had been Baker Acted before.

"We don't put our deputies out there to get shot. We don't get them out there to catch bullets. We get them out there to provide for public safety," said BSO Director of Communications Bob Pusins.

Neighbors said Shamburg lived in the neighborhood for 20 years.

"She's just a very, very nice lady. She minded her own business. She was a smoker and she would sit out in front of her house and smoke cigarettes," said Heather Malkoff. "I didn't even know that they were even friends but Joellene was just a very nice lady.

"She would come and sit and clean out around the trees and go in the back," said Price.

The deputy who shot Davis was placed on administrative leave.