A masked, armed suspect that the Broward Sheriff's Office learned had planned on robbing a Pembroke Pines insurance office was fatally shot in a confrontation with deputies who were waiting for him Thursday, authorities said.
"A few days ago Broward sheriff's detectives received information from a confidential source that a subject wanted to commit an armed robbery," Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said.
Deputies cleared out the Allstate office and the rest of the stores in the Palm Square shopping center on the 1400 block of South Palm Avenue. Only deputies were in the office when the 23-year-old Miramar man walked in, Israel said.
The suspect, who was carrying a handgun, didn't comply with the orders of deputies, and at least one deputy was forced to shoot the suspect, Israel said.
The sheriff would not say whether the suspect fired shots in the incident, which happened just after 3 p.m.
The suspect was pronounced dead on the scene. His name is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin, the BSO said.
Israel said, however, that the man has a long arrest record. Investigators have 30 witnesses to interview, he said.
No civilians were in danger at any time, Israel said. No deputies were injured, the BSO said.
The storefront windows of the Allstate office were shattered.
Pembroke Pines Police were also on the scene, but the BSO is heading up the investigation.
In line with BSO policy, homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances of the shooting, and three deputies have been placed on administrative assignment, the agency said.
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Photo Credit: NBC 6 South Florida