A Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy fatally shot an 18-year-old man in a gated community near Boynton Beach Thursday morning after the man came at deputies with a hammer and hedge shears, according to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

Killed was Michael Camberdella, who a family member said had mental problems. Bradshaw confirmed that and said Camberdella was “a violent individual” who had attacked his mother that morning.

“The deputy took the action he had to take,” said Bradshaw, speaking from the scene of the incident, in the Verona Lakes neighborhood.

The deputy in question was dispatched to the community after several calls from neighbors who reported the teen was attacking his mother, Bradshaw said. One call reported that Camberdella had his mother in a choke-hold. While the deputy was en route, another caller reported the man was armed with the hammer and hedge sheers and “was known to resist officers,” Bradshaw said.

When the deputy arrived, Camberdella was outside the home and it was unclear whether someone was dead inside, Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw said Camberdella was armed with the hammer and shears and ignored repeated commands from the deputy to “drop, get on the ground.”

Camberdella’s great uncle, Mark Teller, said Camberdella was told by the deputy to put the hammer down, but the teen lunged at the deputy instead and the deputy shot him.

Teller said Camberdella saw doctors at JFK Medical Center just yesterday after saying he wanted to “be a ninja.” He also said that Camberdella had been having seizures after a recent fall. Teller said that while he understood that the teen was threatening the deputy, he said he wished the deputy had reacted differently. “He should’ve tasered him first, then if he did something, fine.”

Teller also said Camberdella’s mother Linda had been taken to the hospital after today’s incident, although he didn’t know why.

This is the fourth deputy-involved shooting since May.