Palm Beach County deputies fatally shot a 30-year-old Army veteran Wednesday night in Boca Raton after he reportedly threatened to kill himself, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to Sandalfoot Square just before 10 p.m. and found Joshua Senfeld sitting by his car with a gun, threatening to end his life, the agency said. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Senfeld put the gun to his head several times. Deputies spent more than an hour and a half trying to de-escalate the situation. Around 11:30 p.m., Senfeld began to stand up with the weapon in what Bradshaw described as a “ready position.” Bradshaw said the deputies felt they were in danger.
Brandon Haight, a close friend who served with Senfeld in Afghanistan, described him as generous and loyal. Haight said Senfeld texted him moments before the gunfire, apologizing and calling Haight his best friend in the Army. Haight said he does not believe Senfeld intended to harm anyone.
The next morning, a deputy’s cruiser was towed away with apparent bullet holes, and witnesses said some rounds went through a nearby bar window.
WPBF 25 News is seeking body camera footage from the sheriff’s office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The deputies involved have been placed on paid leave, per standard policy.
