Surveillance video shows the moments Broward Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man with a machete Thursday in Oakland Park.
The incident happened after 7 a.m. in the 300 block of Northeast 38th Street after deputies received reports of a possible suspicious person armed with a machete, BSO officials said.
The man, later identified as 39-year-old Deavon McGauley, is seen in the surveillance walking quickly toward two deputies, who then open fire.
39-year-old Deavon McGauley
NBC6 paused the video the moment before he was shot. McGauley then falls to the ground.
BSO officials said the man “aggressively” attacked deputies with the machete, which prompted them to shoot. No deputies were injured in the incident.
“Detectives told me that he attacked them with the machete, whether that means jumped or exactly what attacked means, I’m not exactly sure at this point, that’s part of their investigation whether he jumped at them or lunged at them, but as far as I know at this point, he attacked the deputies with the machete and so that’s when the shooting occurred,” BSO spokesperson Miranda Grossman said. “Whether or not he was threatening anyone else with the machete, that’s still what detectives are looking into and trying to figure out.”
McGauley later died at the hospital from his injuries. His mother, Michelle McGauley, said he had mental health issues and that the situation could have been de-escalated.
“My sister and them woke me up saying my son got shot. So we rushed down here,” she said. “We’ve been calling the hospital; they say he got shot in the arm. I’m hearing that it was 15 shots, and they could have tased him.”
Chopper6 video shows the machete and bloody clothes at the scene.
“He had a machete, he was very angry, [they] told him ‘drop it, drop it’ many times and he didn’t listen,” witness David Aldasouki said. “He went to jump on them, he went to jump, and they start shooting.”
The deputies involved are on administrative assignment pending an investigation, BSO said.