HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Police officers shot and killed an armed man who had allegedly fired at a moving van in a Hollywood neighborhood, authorities said, ending an intense search that put residents on edge.
According to Hollywood Police, the fatal shooting took place in the area of North 70th Terrace and Harding Street, Sunday afternoon.
Investigators said officers had responded to a 911 call of shots fired along the 7000 block of Liberty Square, at around 2 p.m.
The caller said a man had fired at their white van while driving through the neighborhood. The caller then gave police a description of the subject.
Surveillance video captured a man firing into the moving vehicle near North 67th Avenue and Park Street. The gunman could then be seen taking off on foot.
Officials said the subject fired two bullets into the van. The driver of the van was not hurt.
Shortly after, the officers arrived at the scene and began their search.
“You heard them peeling around the corner, and they didn’t even stop for stop signs,” said witness Nicholas Douglas. “It was, I’d say, a real urgent situation.”
The law enforcers eventually spotted a man matching the description provided by the caller.
“Officers searched the area vigorously and did find someone that matched the description approximately four blocks from the original call,” said Hollywood Police Officer Christian Lata. “We attempted to make contact with this individual, and at one point, there was an officer-involved shooting which occurred.”
Something happened when the officers and the subject crossed paths, and that’s when, detectives said, they were forced to fire, fatally striking him.
A witness described how the confrontation went down.
“Cops said, ‘Don’t move or I’ll have to kill you,'” said David Cordova. “Cop looked up at me and my mom and said, ‘Get in the house right now.'”
“The suspect was pronounced [deceased] on scene, and he was armed with a gun,” said Lata.
7News cameras captured an active police presence at both scenes, as investigators worked well into the night.
Cameras also captured a shattered rear window of a nearby car.
Meanwhile, residents who live near where the initial shots were fired said they’re relieved no stray bullets went into a home.
“It’s a lot incidents where a stray bullet hit into people’s houses, and it goes into someone’s head, chest,” said area resident Nia Brown. “It could’ve gone anywhere. It happened right here. It could’ve went through the window. It could’ve hit me, my mom, anybody.”
“I think it’s too early to know,” resident Emmy Stillwell said. “I hope that they were doing the right thing because I mean it’s not the kind of neighborhood that you would just have something go wrong.”
Police have not disclosed the identities of the victim or the shooter, as they continue to investigate.
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