Armed woman shot, killed by Broward deputies in Deerfield Beach identified: officials
An armed woman shot and killed by BSO deputies Wednesday night in Deerfield Beach has been identified, officials say.
Around 9:30 p.m., the Broward Sheriff’s Office said deputies rushed to the area of the 1900 block of Northeast Second Street, where a woman, identified Thursday as 28-year-old Santrina Lester, was seen pointing a gun at a person.
Three deputies approached Lester, who was inside a vehicle. They told her repeatedly not to pull out a weapon, according to the sheriff’s office, but she ignored their commands.
Soon after, while outside the vehicle, multiple deputies shot at her. It’s unclear if there was an exchange of gunfire.
Lester was hit by at least one of the bullets, according to officials. And despite deputies’ attempts to save her life after the shooting, she died at Broward Health North, where she was transported by Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.
A deputy was also injured, but the sheriff’s office could not confirm if they were shot or wounded by other means. They were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover.
At a news conference late Wednesday, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said it appears the woman had been inside a nearby restaurant with the firearm.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating, which is standard protocol for a deputy-involved shooting.
As per BSO policy, the deputies who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative assignment pending further investigation.
This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 11:49 PM.
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