SUNRISE, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities are investigating a police-involved shooting at an apartment complex in Sunrise that left a man dead.
Area residents said there was a heavy police presence at the complex, located along Northwest 104th Avenue, early Sunday morning.
“I didn’t expect something like that to happen,” said area resident Justin Monegro. “I got here at about 3:30 in the morning. Around 3:45, I saw that police, right after the gate, they had everything blocked off.”
Hours later, 7News cameras captured crime scene units still at the scene.
According to Sunrise Police, they received a call from a woman saying that her ex-husband, at 2704 NW 10th Ave., was threatening to commit suicide and harm anyone that came to the apartment.
It was a scary situation for Monegro, who lives nearby with his parents.
“It’s such a quiet neighborhood, such a quiet location, especially being 55 and older,” he said.
Investigators said they attempted to speak with the man on the phone just before 12:45 a.m. but were unsuccessful.
Police said officers were eventually able to make contact through a window in the apartment.
It was then that, according to the news release issued by police, “The man directly threatened officers by saying, ‘There will be hell to pay’ because he was ‘heavily armed.'”
Police said things escalated even further when the subject displayed a long rifle and pointed it at officers who were staged in the stairwell.
Investigators said one of the officers immediately opened fire, fatally striking the man.
“I heard they shot him three times,” said Monegro.
“I heard big gunshot, and it woke us up,” said neighbor Maria Ruiz. “The police came knocking on the door and told us that they had shot a man because the man came out of the window with a rifle and ready to kill them.”
Monegro said his mother also heard the rounds being fired from her apartment.
“She actually sent me a message at around 1:30,” he said. “I was still at my friend’s house, and she told me the reason why she sent me that message was because she heard the gunshots.”
According to the news release, the subject was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said multiple firearms were located in the apartment, including a tactical shotgun found at the subject’s feet.
The officer who opened fire, a 13-year veteran with Sunrise Police, has been placed on administrative leave, as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement continues to investigate the shooting.
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