82-year-old man identified as suspect killed by Margate police

MARGATE, Fla. – Margate police say an 82-year-old man was fatally shot by an officer Sunday afternoon after he pointed the gun at numerous people.

As the sound of gunfire erupted near Oriole Park on Sunday a little league baseball game was going on nearby. Players were seen running to safety after Margate police said their officers were involved in the shooting down the street.

“We were in the middle of a game,” said witness Nicole Collins. “Everybody came running this way. The coaches and parents too the kids and kept them covered all the way out on the other side of the field.”

According to authorities, officers were called to the 100 block of Rock Island Road at 12:46 p.m. regarding a person pointing a gun at people.

Police said officers arrived at the scene to find Jose Antonio Suarez, of Margate, waving the gun around and shooting into the ground.

Officers repeatedly ordered Suarez to drop the gun, but he pointed it at the officers, resulting in one of them shooting him, authorities said.

“All we heard was three, four gunshots and all hell broke loose after that,” Sy Karim, who was working nearby, told Local 10 News. “Sirens like crazy. Sirens, a lot of police activity. It was crazy.”

Police said officers rendered aid to Suarez as they waited for Margate Fire Rescue crews to arrive.

Suarez was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

“He was a good guy and my mother loved him to death,” Suarez’s daughter told Local 10 News on Monday.

She said her family didn’t know that her father owned a gun.

“I didn’t even know anything about it,” she said.

No officers or civilians were injured during the incident.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the police-involved shooting, per standard protocol.

The officer who discharged their weapon has been placed on administrative leave, pending the results of the investigation, which is also standard protocol.

Margate police have not released the officer’s identity.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.