DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – A man was shot early Thursday morning by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies after he pointed a gun at them, authorities said.
According to the sheriff’s office, the incident began just after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday after deputies responded to a welfare check in the 5600 block of Via Delray in Delray Beach.
Recommended Videos
Authorities said deputies made contact with a man who was threatening suicide.
“The male began walking up and down a canal bank. Deputies began following the male to establish a rapport with him,” a news release from PBSO stated. “At one point the male produced a firearm and placed it to the side of his head. Deputies continued to try to talk to the male, in hopes of offering him mental health services.”
According to authorities, the man then entered the canal, which was filled with no more than waist-deep water, and continued walking as deputies positioned themselves on both sides of the canal bank.
Authorities said the deputies continued to try to speak with the man when he suddenly pointed a gun at them, leading the deputies to fire their guns at him, striking him in the torso.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was transported to a local hospital where he is currently in stable condition and expected to survive.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is taking the lead in the investigation into the deputy-involved shooting, however PBSO Violent Crimes detectives and the State Attorney’s Office investigators are also investigating.
The deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard department protocol.