Man threw butcher knives at Broward cops, police say. Then one of the officers fired back
.jpg "Justin Brittain, 41, threw several butcher knives at Pembroke Pines cops on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, police say.")
Pembroke Pines officers responding to a violent domestic disturbance on Monday were greeted by a man throwing butcher knives at them — prompting one of the officers to respond with gunfire, police say.
When officers arrived around 6:30 p.m. in the 100 block of South Hollybrook Drive, investigators say Justin Brittain, 41, threw several knives toward their direction.
“One of the knives thrown struck a police officer but did not cause injury,” Pembroke Pines police said Tuesday in a news release. “As a result, a police officer was forced to fire in response to the suspect’s pattern of behavior.”
The bullet or bullets missed the Pembroke Pines man, and he was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery on a police officer and two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
Police didn’t immediately give details about the domestic disturbance, but Captain Adam Feiner told the Miami Herald on Tuesday that Brittain’s father was at the location when officers arrived.
While Pembroke Pines PD continues to investigate the domestic disturbance and the alleged attack against their officers, the Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating the police shooting.
Attorney information for Brittain wasn’t immediately available. He remained behind bars at Broward County’s Main Jail Tuesday afternoon, records show.
In 2017, Brittain was accused of grabbing his father by his neck and striking him in the face following a verbal disagreement, his Pembroke Pines police arrest report shows. He was accused of battery but the charge was later dropped.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Pembroke Pines Police Department by dialing 954-431-2200 or sending an email to tips@ppines.com. For anonymous tips, people may call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 2:12 PM.
