INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A suspect in a Seminole County homicide was shot three times by a local deputy during a traffic stop Thursday at the Sam’s Club parking lot, officials said. Body camera footage showed the man reach behind his back then aim his fingers – like a gun – toward an Indian River County sheriff’s deputy before the man was shot.
“He got out of the vehicle and began speaking a foreign language,” Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said during a Thursday news conference held in the parking lot. “He reached into his pockets and came out like he had a gun.”
Flowers said the vehicle the man drove – a blue 2006 Chrysler Town & Country minivan – belonged to the homicide victim. It was unclear if the man and the victim knew each other.
The shooting happened about 12:30 p.m. in the Sam’s Club parking lot near 58th Avenue and State Road 60. The man was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce with serious injuries which required surgery, Flowers said.
It was unclear if the man’s wounds were considered life-threatening.
Two deputies shot at the man, with one deputy’s gunfire striking him in the torso area, Flowers said. The names of the deputies, suspect and victim were not released Thursday.
The deputies were placed on paid administrative leave, which is routine for police-involved shootings, Flowers said.
What happened
Indian River County deputies got an alert earlier of a Chrysler Town & Country minivan that was linked to a homicide at the Husseini Islamic Center in Seminole County. Seminole County sheriff’s officials said a male victim was found dead at 8:45 a.m. Thursday on the center property located at Hester Avenue in unincorporated Sanford.
Seminole County sheriff’s officials put out a social media alert with a picture of a vehicle seen leaving the center. The man drove from the area in the minivan and headed south, eventually reaching Indian River County.
“Suspect should be considered dangerous, do not approach. Anyone who sees this vehicle should immediately call 911,” Seminole County sheriff’s officials said in the Thursday morning alert. “Anyone with information leading to the apprehension is eligible for up to a $10,000 reward from Crimeline.”
Indian River County deputies found the minivan near 58th Avenue and State Road 60. Deputies tracked the vehicle into the Sam’s Club parking lot and tried to conduct a traffic stop.
Body camera footage released Thursday showed three deputies holding the man at gunpoint. The officers can be heard saying “hands up,” “turn around” and “get on the ground.”
The man pointed his fingers at one of the deputies before going back to his vehicle, the video showed. Flowers said the man appeared to be reaching for something in the minivan when deputies opened fire.
.@IRCSheriff Eric Flowers gives update on deputy-involved shooting at Sam’s Club parking lot in #VeroBeach. #VeroNews pic.twitter.com/ppFOU0GXHZ
— Nicholas Samuel (@JournalistNickS) March 24, 2022
The incident prompted officers to shut down the west end of the Sam’s Club parking lot, officials said. At least three sheriff’s crime scene vans and the minivan could be seen in the lot – marked off by yellow crime scene tape – Thursday afternoon.
Officers were still searching the vehicle for any suspicious items, Flowers said. The St. Lucie County sheriff’s bomb squad responded to the area and did not find any explosives nearby.
Deputies were expected to be at the parking lot for the next several hours. No nearby businesses were forced to close because of the incident, Flowers said.
Sheriff’s officials advised motorists to avoid the area. FBI officials were assisting with the investigation, Indian River County Sheriff’s spokesperson Debbie Carson said.
No further details were immediately available.