Dramatic video captured the moment Broward Sheriff's deputies unleashed what appeared to be dozens of shots at a man who officials said opened fire on them at a Pompano Beach home Tuesday night.
The Broward Sheriff's Office said the incident happened shortly after 9:30 p.m. near the 700 block of Northwest 5th Avenue.
Deputies had initially responded to a call about a man who was shooting a weapon at a home, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Tony said the suspect, 52-year-old Scott Simonelli, was known to law enforcement from past encounters that included being Baker Acted, threats of violence and "instability issues."
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"One of our deputies who was not on scene, as the call was coming out and we're dispersing other officers out to the scene, got on the radio and informed his colleagues 'Hey, I've been out with this guy, he's violent, he had firearms, so be prepared' and that preparation actually is what saved lives today," Tony said.
Surveillance video showed four deputies run toward the home with guns drawn. See the whole thing here.
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Tony said one of the deputies had a issue with a light on his handgun that caused a "flickering effect" that gave away the deputies' position, and that's when Simonelli opened fire with around 20 rounds from a semi-automatic weapon.
In the video, one deputy yells for someone to "drop the [expletive] gun!" but Tony said Simonelli ignored the commands and more gunfire erupted.
The video shows two deputies pull the trigger and a barrage of gunfire follows for nearly 20 seconds.
Then they stop, and booms are heard off camera. Deputies continue to ask the person to "drop the gun now!" They move out of frame toward the home as bangs continue off camera.
The shooting went on for another nearly 30 seconds.
Body camera footage from the deputies was played by Tony at a news conference that also showed the barrage of gunfire.
Tony said no deputies were injured but Simonelli was struck around three times but survived.
Tony said two of the deputies had recently been hired by BSO, and one of the deputies was celebrating his birthday on Tuesday.
"Thank God this didn't end in a tragic situation where we lost an officer, at any time but most certainly during his birthday period," Tony said.
One neighbor said she called 911 after Simonelli came to her door with a flashlight trying to lure her outside.
"When I went into my mom's room to ask her a question, he said something and then he let off a gunshot," Alexis Barofsky said. "We both called 911; I ran in my room with my kids, I got into bed and I put the blanket over me and my kids, and I prayed and hoped that nothing was going to happen."
She said she's had past run-ins with Simonelli, who did not like that her children ran around on the floor. She said she also called the police in November when he waved a gun, calling them the worst neighbors ever.
The terror brought another mother, who did not want to be identified, to tears.
"This is going on in my son's room, and like, he's terrified. And the first thing my son tells me is, 'I don't want to die,'" she said, before getting choked up. "It's heartbreaking for me that my 9-year-old has to think about living or dying."
Video from the scene appeared to show a car and a home struck by bullets.
The two deputies who opened fire have been placed on administrative leave, which is department policy. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident, which is standard practice in police shootings.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
