PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) deputy shot a knife-wielding man in the head Saturday after he held a woman against her will and refused to drop the weapon, sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.
The incident occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m. during a welfare check at a home in the 22000 block of Larkspur Trail in the Thornhill Green community near Boca Raton.
When deputies arrived, they heard a woman screaming for help and forced their way inside the home. That's when they encountered a woman being held against her will by a man armed with a knife, Barbera said.
According to PBSO, the suspect refused commands to drop the knife, so a deputy, fearing for the safety of the woman, fired his gun, shooting the man in the head.
The woman was taken to a hospital, where she was listed in stable condition. The suspect was taken to a different hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
The deputy who shot the suspect has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a deputy-involved shooting.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is the lead investigative agency regarding the shooting.
The suspect is facing charges of armed false imprisonment and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
