HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A man has died following a SWAT situation in Hollywood that ended in a home becoming engulfed in flames.
The fire broke out along the 2700 block of Dewey Street on Wednesday night, leading into the early hours of Thursday.
The man “aggressively came toward BSO SWAT members with a long pole, using it like a spear, and one of the members shot his gun.”
He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
One man said he threw Molotov bottles at police to get them off the property. He was also threatening to hurt himself and others, according to police.
“He started throwing Molotov cocktails at them to get them off the property, been out here since 10 a.m.,” said Andrea Cato.
“All of a sudden, we hear some bangs, we saw a couple little fires break out,” one neighbor said. “All of a sudden we see them shooting water at the house. Next thing you know, the flames just start building.”
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies said they responded to the home on Wednesday because a man was barricaded inside. The standoff lasted hours into the night.
The man inside the home refused to come out and a standoff ensued.
“They blasted him three times with nonlethal ammunition,” a man said.
High flames and smoke could be seen coming from the roof of the home.
“We saw a couple little fire break out and the all of a sudden we see them shooting water at the house,” said a woman in a pink shirt.
Neighbors said they saw the barricaded man being taken away in an ambulance.
A friend of the man identified him as 36-year-old Mathew Hyde. He also told 7News he noticed a threat that was posted onto Hyde’s Facebook page and tried to help.
“That man would not harm anything,” said Kory Osborn. “I know he had mental health issues, and he’s been struggling with suicide for years.”
The area remains taped off between 26th and 27th avenues along Dewey Street.
It is advised to avoid those roads.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now leading the investigation as an officer fired his gun.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.