A woman in Dania Beach who was chasing another woman with a meat cleaver ran toward deputies and they shot her Wednesday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies arrived to 103 N.E. Third St. after a domestic disturbance was reported to 911 at about 11:05 a.m.
The initial call described a woman chasing another woman with the large knife, and that’s what deputies found, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said.
“They observed the altercation occurring and provided multiple warnings to the suspect at the time to drop the weapon,” Tony said. “Unfortunately she elected to charge our deputies.”
He said that the woman was hit by gunfire at least once and that her injuries were survivable.
“Deputies fired several rounds striking the suspect, and they were able to treat her along with our fire rescue service,” Tony said.
Deputies had hoped to use a less lethal rifle, but “unfortunately, we didn’t have time to use it,” Tony said.
Sylvia Bruce works at the Holocaust Documentation & Education Center across U.S. 1 from the shooting scene.
While in the parking lot, she heard gunfire, “about two to three shots,” Bruce said.
Tony did not know what relationship existed between the women who had been fighting.
A handcuffed man was seen nearby being taken into custody. Tony couldn’t say if the man was somehow related to the shooting.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the deputies’ actions.
It was not disclosed how many deputies may have shot their guns, but “at least one deputy” did, sheriff’s spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion said.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue took the wounded woman to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. Her name was not released.
Video recorded by WSVN-Ch.7 showed the injured woman on a gurney, alert as she was being taken from an ambulance and into the hospital.
The neighborhood is east of U.S. 1 and south of Griffin Road.
This story will be updated; check back for more information.
ljtrischitta@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4233 or Twitter @LindaTrischitta
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