Lauderhill police release bodycam of deadly encounter with knife-wielding woman
LAUDERHILL - A woman with a knife shot by a Lauderhill officer early Friday afternoon during a confrontation and died at a hospital has been identified, police said Saturday.
The woman was identified as Monique Scott, 28, a resident of Magestic Gardens apartment complex at 4045 NW 16th St., Lt. Antonio Gonzalez said.
The officer was forced to fire his weapon after being threatened by her. It is protocol to fire a weapon when an officer's life is in jeopardy, Gonzalez said at a news conference Friday.
The woman was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale where she was pronounced deceased, Gonzalez said.
The officer had no visible injuries but was taken to the medical center as standard protocol.
The incident was on the north side of the complex and there were witnesses, Gonzalez said.
At approximately 12:25 p.m., officer responded to a call for service in which only first name and location were provided. The call disconnected before further information could be obtained.
The first officer arrived at the scene at 12:32 p.m. and proceeded to the apartment identified in the call. The officer knocked on her door but received no response, Gonzales said in an updated release Saturday.
As the officer was leaving the building, he encountered Scott outside near his marked police vehicle.
According to the officer's initial radio transmission, Scott was armed with a knife.
The officer said that a woman was armed with a large knife and charged at him.
The officer then transmitted an additional message: "Shots fired."
"All of a sudden I heard a loud gunshot, a bang on the door and I'm thinking there's a war zone in the hallway and I'm hearing a lot of commotion all of a sudden," a neighbor who calls himself Lifestyle told CBS News Miami. "My wife said somebody got shot."
Cellphone video shows paramedics performing CPR.
Gonzales said he didn't know how many shots were fired.
"This incident is a profound tragedy, and our hearts go out to everyone affected," Gonzalez said. "he decision to release this footage underscores our dedication to fostering trust and openness with the community we serve. We acknowledge the gravity of this event and understand the questions and concerns it raises. Our department remains committed to engaging with the community, listening to your voices, and being as forthcoming as possible while respecting the integrity of the investigative process.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been assigned to conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
The officer, who has been on the force for three years, will be placed on administrative leave during the investigation.
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward.
