PBSO deputy shoots, kills armed man during confrontation at Hypoluxo Road shopping plaza

A Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputy shot and killed a man reported to be armed with two guns on Thursday morning at a shopping plaza near Boynton Beach, the sheriff's office said.

The PBSO did not immediately identify the man who died or the deputy. A sheriff's office spokesperson said investigators were still attempting to notify the deceased man's family as of Thursday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting, as it often does when a local law-enforcement officer is involved. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office and detectives from the sheriff's Violent Crimes Division also are reviewing the incident.

PBSO said it placed the deputy on paid leave, which is standard protocol after one is involved in a shooting.

Deputies responded shortly before 9:30 a.m. to reports of a suspicious person armed at the southeast corner of Hypoluxo Road and Military Trail, just north of the Boynton Beach city limits. Several people reported that the man had pointed a gun at them, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies arriving on scene encountered a man who was in possession of two guns, sheriff's spokesperson Teri Barbera said. The man ignored commands to put a gun down and show his hands, she said.

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Sheriff Bradshaw: Officer tried to de-escalate confrontation before shooting

In a news conference Thursday afternoon at the scene of the shooting, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the man had a shotgun in a shopping cart and rifle lying on the ground nearby.

Bradshaw said the man had attempted to carjack a woman who had a young child in her vehicle and had threatened other people in cars.

A deputy was attempting to de-escalate the situation when the man picked up the shotgun, Bradshaw said. He told reporters that the man put the shotgun down but picked up the rifle and pointed it moments later as he advanced toward the deputy.

The deputy then fired his weapon, Bradshaw said. Deputies rendered aid until Palm Beach County Fire Rescue medics arrived on scene and drove the man to a hospital. The man died a short time later, the sheriff's office said.

Bradshaw said the man posed a danger to the public and left the deputy with little choice but to use deadly force.

"The bottom line is the deputy did everything he could to de-escalate this situation," he said.

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Second officer-involved shooting in Palm Beach County this week

It was the second shooting involving a Palm Beach County law-enforcement officer this week.

On Monday morning, a Riviera Beach police officer shot and wounded 29-year-old Delroy Thomas in an altercation that began in a parking lot at Suncoast High School.

School district police investigators alleged that Thomas began fighting with Officer Nodane Cherisma when she attempted to stop him from entering onto the school grounds. Thomas is facing multiple charges, including battery on a law enforcement officer and trespassing on schools.

His relatives told The Palm Beach Post that Thomas has suffered from a history of mental illness and had recently been taken to a hospital to be evaluated for detention under Florida's Baker Act.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PBSO deputy shoots, kills armed man at Boynton-area shopping plaza