A 54-year-old robbery suspect was fatally shot by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy Tuesday morning, ending a pursuit that crossed several jurisdictions and stretched from Lake Worth Beach to the Jog Road area near Atlantic Avenue.
The chase began Monday night, Oct. 12, when detectives responded to a robbery in the 400 block of North K Street in Lake Worth Beach. Authorities said the suspect ordered food under an alias, then grabbed cash from a delivery driver who was counting out change for a $100 bill. He fled on foot and later escaped in a black 2020 Chevrolet Silverado.
Shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday, a PBSO Tactical Unit spotted the truck in Lake Park. Deputies tried a traffic stop, and the driver ran. A sheriff’s helicopter tracked the truck while the Florida Highway Patrol joined the pursuit, which moved onto Interstate 95 and then Atlantic Avenue. The truck stopped between Grand Isle Drive and Woolbright Road.
Investigators said the man got out and ran toward a commercial property with one arm wrapped in a shirt or towel, ignoring repeated commands to stop. Less-lethal force did not stop him. Officials said he took cover behind concrete pillars, knelt and aimed at responding personnel, prompting a deputy to fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Records showed the man had a long criminal history that included carjacking, robbery, kidnapping, assault, fraud and drug possession charges. The deputy has been placed on administrative leave, which the agency said is standard procedure. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office and the PBSO Violent Crimes Division are conducting an independent review.
