Authorities say the man attacked deputies during a Thursday morning call in Oakland Park.
OAKLAND PARK, Fla. — A woman who identified herself as the mother of a man killed in a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy-involved shooting said Thursday that she went to the hospital searching for answers after deputies shot her son during a confrontation in Oakland Park. Authorities said the man was armed with a machete, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.
The fatal shooting unfolded after a suspicious-person call shortly before 7 a.m., leaving neighbors watching a heavy law-enforcement presence on residential streets and sparking immediate questions from the man’s family about what led to gunfire. Officials said deputies gave commands for the man to drop the weapon and that the man attacked deputies, but investigators are still working to clarify the precise sequence of events.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said deputies were sent to the area of Northeast 35th Court and Northeast Fifth Avenue after reports of a possible suspicious person. When deputies arrived, they saw a man walking around with a machete, spokesperson Miranda Grossman said. The confrontation moved to a nearby block as deputies closed in, and the shooting occurred in the moments that followed.
Grossman said deputies opened fire after the man attacked them with the machete. She said investigators are still determining what that attack looked like and whether the man lunged or rushed toward deputies. “That’s part of their investigation,” Grossman said, adding that detectives are also trying to determine whether the man threatened anyone else before or during the encounter.
Oakland Park Fire Rescue took the man to a hospital, but he later died, authorities said. The sheriff’s office has not released the man’s name. Michelle McGauley, who said she is the man’s mother, told local media that her son was 35 years old and that relatives woke her with the news he had been shot. She said the family called the hospital looking for information and then drove there trying to learn what happened.
McGauley questioned why deputies used deadly force instead of a less-lethal option. “They could have tased him,” she said. She also said she had heard claims that a large number of shots were fired, though authorities have not provided a round count. The sheriff’s office did not say how many deputies fired their weapons, how many rounds were discharged, or whether less-lethal tools were used or attempted.
A witness, David Aldasouki, said he saw deputies repeatedly order the man to drop the weapon. “He had a machete. He was very angry,” Aldasouki said. He said the man did not comply and then moved toward deputies. Aldasouki said the shooting began after the man appeared to jump toward them. Authorities have not publicly described the distance between the man and deputies at the moment shots were fired.
Helicopter video from above the neighborhood showed what appeared to be a machete lying near a taped-off scene close to Northeast 38th Street and Northeast Fifth Avenue. Patrol vehicles blocked access to the immediate area while detectives worked, and residents gathered behind the perimeter. Some neighbors watched quietly from sidewalks and driveways as investigators photographed the scene and marked evidence.
Authorities said none of the deputies were injured. The sheriff’s office said the deputies who fired were placed on administrative assignment, a routine step in deputy-involved shootings that removes the deputies from regular duty while evidence is collected and statements are reviewed. The administrative move is typically nonpunitive, though agencies can later take discipline if an internal review identifies policy violations.
FDLE is leading the investigation because deputies fired their weapons, officials said. In such cases, outside investigators generally collect physical evidence, conduct interviews, and review recordings that may include body-worn camera video, dash camera footage, and any nearby security video. Investigators also review 911 calls and dispatch notes to confirm how the incident was reported and how quickly deputies arrived.
Officials have not said whether body-camera video will be released or when, and they did not provide details about the man’s background or whether he lived in the neighborhood. Authorities also have not said whether there were earlier calls about the same person that morning or whether deputies had prior contact with him. Those questions can become central as investigators try to determine whether the use of force met legal standards and agency policy.
The shooting drew attention because it happened in a residential area at the start of the day, when people were leaving for work and children were getting ready for school. Oakland Park sits just north of Fort Lauderdale, and the city’s neighborhoods are closely spaced, making police perimeters and helicopter activity noticeable for blocks. The visible response, combined with uncertainty about the man’s identity, left some neighbors waiting for officials to explain what happened.
Investigators are expected to continue interviewing witnesses and deputies over the next several days. Once FDLE completes its work, the findings are typically forwarded to prosecutors for review, and the sheriff’s office may conduct its own administrative assessment. Authorities said the case remains under investigation and that additional information would be released as it becomes available.
Author note: Last updated March 5, 2026.