FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police are investigating after, they said, an officer was forced to open fire on a man at the Broward Central Terminal in Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale Police and Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units were called to the scene along Broward Boulevard and Northwest First Avenue, at around 8 p.m., Friday.
Fire rescue crews have transported a man to Broward Health Medical Center in stable condition.
Police said there was an encounter between the officer and the victim but have not confirmed the nature of the encounter.
“The circumstances surrounding the entire incident are still being investigated,” said Fort Lauderdale Police spokesperson Tracy Figone.
Cellphone video taken immediately after shooting showed two officers standing over a man lying on the ground in handcuffs.
“He shot him!” a woman is heard screaming in the video.
Witnesses at the scene said they heard one gunshot, however there are several conflicting accounts of what occurred.
“I just heard the shot — ‘Pow,'” a witness said. “I thought it was like a brown paper bag. ‘Pow!’ That’s basically it and then all the commotion.”
“He pulled a gun out on the police officer,” another witness said.
When asked if he saw the gun, the witness said, “I saw the gun.”
However, police said they have not been able substantiate the witness’ claim and have not confirmed whether they recovered a gun at the scene.
Other witnesses who spoke to 7News said they did not believe the man was carrying a gun.
“He had no gun on him,” a third witness said. “When I walked up, I didn’t hear nobody saying, ‘Get on the ground.’ It’s too bad that all of this is happening. Hopefully, both parties will be OK.”
Timothy Major, who said he is the stepbrother of the man who was shot, spoke to reporters after the shooting.
“That’s my brother,” he said. “They shot my brother for no reason. He was sitting over there, and he did nothing wrong at all. All he did was — like it was nothing, the police pulled his Taser out first, and then he pulled his gun out when he turned his back for no reason.”
Paramedics rushed the man to an area hospital, where he continues to recover.
“The suspect is currently in stable condition,” said Figone.
A Fort Lauderdale spokesperson said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is on the scene of the shooting.
Police said the officer involved in the shooting was wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.
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