Hallandale Beach cop shot 80-year-old man after the man pulled a gun, police say
A 14-year veteran Hallandale Beach police officer “was forced to discharge” his weapon Monday after an 80-year-old man pointed a Colt revolver at him and his partner, the department said Tuesday.
Sgt. Michael Scarpati and Carolyn Rose responded to the area of Northeast 10th Street and 12th Avenue around 7 a.m. Monday after two calls came in reporting a dead body.
When they arrived, they didn’t find a body. Instead, they found Richard Barker “slouched over atop a city trash bin,” an officer wrote in a report released Tuesday.
They approached him and Barker pulled out a gun, officers said.
Barker, who was hospitalized, has been charged with two counts of assault on an officer. It was not clear the extent of his injuries or what prompted the encounter.
“Both officers were in fear for their safety/live, at which time Sergeant Scarpati was forced to discharge his firearm, resulting in the apprehension of the defendant,” an officer wrote in the report.
The Colt revolver .357 was recovered, police said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident, as it does with all police-involved shootings.
This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 8:04 PM.
