A man who may have been throwing Molotov cocktails and possibly set multiple fires in Fort Lauderdale was shot and killed by police early Thursday.
It was around 6:30 a.m. when Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and police responded to a report of a fire in the parking lot of 5341 Northwest 33rd Avenue.
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WATCH HEREThe officers encountered a man holding an "incendiary device" at the scene, Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Bill Schultz told reporters at a news conference later Thursday morning.
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The officers told the man to drop the device multiple times but he didn't comply and two officers opened fire, Schultz said.
The man, whose identity wasn't released, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sources said the man had been possibly throwing Molotov cocktails before he was engaged by police.
Schultz confirmed a bottle likely connected to the incident was found at the scene and video showed what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail on the ground in the parking lot.
Authorities said they put out the fire, which was contained to a pile of debris in the middle of the parking lot. There was no property damage as a result.
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Schultz also said another fire had been set around 3 a.m. about a block away under similar circumstances that caused some damage, and said investigators are looking into a possible connection between the two fires.
"Our investigation into these arsons and the subsequent officer-involved shooting remains ongoing and we will investigate all possibilities including the connection to the fire that preceded this fire," Schultz said. "We ask for our community's patience while we investigate this incident that took place today."
The two officers who fired their weapons will be placed on paid administrative leave, which is department policy, Schultz said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will also be investigating, which is standard practice in police shootings.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
