Hard Rock Hollywood Robbery Suspect Shot After Police Gunfight

Hard Rock Hollywood Robbery Suspect Shot After Police Gunfight

The Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) reports that a guy who stole money from a patron and fled the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Casino in Margate, Florida, on Thursday morning was wounded during a confrontation with police.

According to the BSO, a deputy was also struck in the chest during the gunfight but was shielded by his bulletproof vest and did not suffer any major injuries. The suspect's condition remains unknown.

Helicopter tracking

Following the peaceful casino robbery, Seminole Police asked the BSO for assistance in capturing the offender. According to CBS News Miami, the agency's Burglary Apprehension Team (BAT) started following a man in his 20s with the assistance of the Aviation Unit.

The pursuit entered a residential area within the authority of Margate Police after passing through the North Lauderdale District of the BSO.

Everything went crazy when cops eventually found the culprit in what appeared to be a residential driveway based on aerial footage from CBS News.

A tactical SUV and a police truck appear to have collided with a black automobile that was covered in bullet holes in the driveway, according to footage of the aftermath.

“I looked through the back door, and there was police, a car, a door was open, someone standing there, and the next thing we heard was gunshots,” local resident Cavine Dickson told the news station. “I thought it was a firecracker, but I know it’s gunshots because there [were] tons of police.”

“I looked outside, and there [were] cars. The next thing I know, I saw someone come out of a car, standing like this, [and] all I heard afterward was no end of shots,” she added. “It was like fireworks – pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.”

Who Started the Fire?

Miranda Grossman, BSO's Public Information Officer, stated that it was unclear who fired the initial shot.

"An encounter occurred between deputies. And at some point during that encounter, the deputy-involved shooting did occur with the suspect,” she said. “This incident tonight really shows us what dangers our deputies face every single day.”

The suspect and the deputy were both taken to Broward Health North in Pompano Beach; however, BSO has not disclosed any further information regarding their conditions. The BSO Internal Affairs Unit will carry out a separate investigation as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement looks into the event.