A man was shot and killed by a police officer after a domestic violence call turned into a barricade situation at a home in Margate Sunday, officials said.
The incident occurred in the 6900 block of Northwest 1st Street around 7 a.m.
Police said when they arrived at the scene they could hear screaming inside the home and a baby crying. Police attempted to make contact with the people inside but could not, according to a statement by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Family members arrived at the scene and phone contact was made with a woman who said she was being held captive by her husband and hiding inside a closet.
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The man broke into the closet and took the cell phone from the woman and all contact was lost, according to the FDLE statement. After an extended period of silence, the Margate Special Response Team entered the home where they saw the man on top of his wife, choking her.
The first officer to enter the room discharged his weapon several times, hitting the suspect, after seeing the woman in danger, the statement said.
The suspect, identified as Louisson Pierrot, was taken to North Broward Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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The woman and the 1-year-old baby were transported to Northwest Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
The officer who discharged his weapon has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is underway.
Neighbors said what happened was unusual for the area.
"I've been living here for 23 years, nothing has ever happened like this," one neighbor said.
Neighbor Jean Louis says he was shocked at what he saw.
“A lot of police cars. From what I could see from a distance probably a dozen police cars and a SWAT team. Finally I saw a person in an ambulance,” Louis said.
