PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Beach County deputy was forced to open fire and shoot a man wielding two knives Monday morning in west Boynton Beach, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw said the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office received a call at 6:30 a.m. about a suspicious man near the intersection of Boynton Beach Boulevard and Military Trail.
When two deputies arrived at the shopping center — which has stores like Firehouse Subs and International Jewelers Exchange — they approached a man, later identified as Denley Alexis, 20, who was sitting on a bench and holding two knives, each with 7-inch blades.
The deputies repeatedly told Alexis to drop the knives, Bradshaw said.
"All of a sudden, he decides to charge the two deputies, coming right at them with the two knives," Bradshaw said. "The first deputy fires three shots, hits him twice, and he goes down."
WATCH: Sheriff discusses deputy-involved shooting
Bradshaw said the deputies immediately started first aid on Alexis until paramedics arrived.
Alexis was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he was treated and released into PBSO custody. Alexis was then booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence.
In a news release, Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, said detectives have determined it was Alexis who made the initial 911 call.
"During the interview, Denley admitted to calling 911 and admitted he charged deputies with the knives in hopes they would shoot him," Barbera said.
Now that the crime scene tape is down, we can see two places where bullets hit the glass at Firehouse Subs, the scene of this morning’s deputy involved shooting @WPTV pic.twitter.com/DPBleiWExu
— Stephanie Susskind (@StephanieWPTV) May 1, 2023
Bradshaw said there was a mental health issue at play, as Alexis had previously tried to take his own life back in March.
"He did say to one of the deputies while they were loading him into the fire medic's rig, 'You know, you guys didn't do your job.' And the deputy says, 'What are you talking about?' He says, 'I'm still alive,'" Bradshaw said.
The sheriff said his deputies did what they had to do.
"This guy had an agenda," Bradshaw said. "He wanted us to shoot and kill him."
Aerial video from WPTV Chopper 5 showed the parking lot of the shopping center blocked off with crime scene tape, along with multiple PBSO and crime scene vehicles at the scene.
WATCH: Chopper 5 video of deputy-involved shooting
Bradshaw said the two deputies involved have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard whenever a deputy discharges his or her weapon.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is also investigating the incident.
