The suspect was also shot as a burglary apprehension team moved in, officials said.
MARGATE, FL — A Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy survived a gunshot Thursday afternoon when a round struck his ballistic vest as deputies tried to arrest a burglary suspect in a Margate neighborhood, authorities said. The suspect was shot during the exchange. Both were taken to hospitals.
Deputies from the agency’s Burglary Apprehension Team were conducting an investigation on the 6100 block of Northwest Second Street around 2:30 p.m. when the shooting occurred, according to officials. The encounter marked a sudden escalation in a daytime operation on a residential block lined with single-story homes. The deputy’s injuries were described as non-life-threatening because the vest absorbed the impact. The suspect’s condition was not immediately released. The incident brought a large law enforcement response and temporarily closed streets as investigators documented the scene and spoke with witnesses.
Residents said they heard several sharp cracks, then shouting as patrol cars and unmarked units converged on the block. The Broward Sheriff’s Office said members of the specialized team moved to take a suspect into custody in connection with a burglary case when gunfire erupted. “This incident tonight really shows us what dangers our deputies face every single day,” agency spokesperson Miranda Grossman said. Video from nearby homes showed cruisers blocking intersections and detectives laying out yellow evidence markers near driveways as the perimeter expanded. Paramedics transported the wounded deputy and the suspect within minutes. By early evening, crime scene vans and command staff remained on site while technicians photographed doorways and collected shell casings.
Officials said the deputy’s vest stopped the round that struck him. Authorities did not immediately release the deputy’s name, age, or years of service, citing ongoing notifications. The sheriff’s office also did not identify the suspect on Thursday or specify the type of firearm recovered. Neighbors described a brief but intense burst of activity: a chase on foot between houses, officers taking cover behind vehicles, and orders calling for hands to be shown. Several blocks were taped off as traffic units diverted drivers around Northwest Second Street and adjoining residential lanes. The number of shots fired was not confirmed. Detectives canvassed the area for doorbell video and spoke with residents who had been outside doing yardwork when the first sirens arrived.
Margate, a city in northwest Broward County, is often used by regional task forces to stage low-profile arrests tied to property crimes investigated across multiple jurisdictions. The Burglary Apprehension Team pairs detectives and deputies who focus on repeat offenders and organized crews, often using unmarked vehicles during surveillance. Street addresses on the 6100 block sit a short drive from major corridors, including State Road 7, allowing for rapid containment when suspects run. While shootings involving deputies are uncommon in the area, officials said the event underscores the split-second decisions faced when arrests shift suddenly from verbal commands to gunfire. Records of prior BSO shootings in Broward show fluctuating totals year to year, but agency policy calls for immediate command notification and outside review when force is used.
As with other shootings involving deputies, the sheriff’s office said the case will be investigated with standard protocols. Detectives from the agency’s homicide and crime scene units worked into the evening to collect ballistic evidence and map the trajectory of rounds. The deputy will be placed on administrative assignment pending preliminary findings. Officials said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be notified and could take a parallel role, a step that commonly occurs in South Florida deputy-involved shootings. Any charges against the suspect will be determined by prosecutors after investigators complete interviews and review video, radio traffic, and forensic reports. Officials did not announce an arrest booking Thursday night.
Neighbors watched from porches as investigators placed markers near a mailbox and along a front walk. Some residents recounted helping usher children and pets inside as the scene expanded. “We heard two pops, then everything got quiet and there were officers everywhere,” said Sonia Martinez, who lives down the block. Others recorded the aftermath from behind crime tape, capturing stretcher crews moving quickly and deputies in tactical vests conferring at the corner. By sundown, most families had returned indoors, with traffic slowly reopening except for the immediate block where technicians continued measuring distances and collecting swabs for gunshot residue testing.
By late Thursday, officials said the deputy was expected to recover. The suspect remained hospitalized as detectives worked to determine the sequence that led to the gunfire. Additional updates were expected after preliminary interviews and evidence reviews are completed on Friday. The sheriff’s office said any further information on identities, charges, and the precise number of shots fired would be released when confirmed.
Author note: Last updated December 11, 2025.