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By Gabe Whisnant
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A Florida sheriff’s woman deputy was fatally shot Friday while attempting to serve an eviction notice at a beachside home near Vero Beach, authorities said.
The slain deputy was identified as 47-year-old Terri Mashkow, a 25-year veteran of the department.
Another deputy and a locksmith assisting law enforcement were also wounded in the gunfire, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers told reporters.
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The locksmith and the suspected shooter were both in critical condition following surgery, while the second deputy was recovering after being shot in the shoulder.
Why It Matters
Across the U.S, roughly 378 officers were shot in the line of duty in 2023, with 36 dying from their injuries, per a report from the COPS Office at the Department of Justice. While officer deaths are relatively low, they remain a serious risk for those in the line of duty across the country.
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Shooting Near Vero Beach, Florida: What We Know
The officers went to the house in the Bermuda Club neighborhood near Vero Beach, where a resident of the home was evicting her son, Flowers said Friday. While officers were in the entryway, the son grabbed a firearm and began "indiscriminately firing" at the deputies, the sheriff said.
Flowers grew emotional speaking about Mashkow, describing her as an "amazing deputy" who he worked alongside his entire career. He said she had made the "ultimate sacrifice."
"I can tell you that our team will feel this forever," Flowers said.
Authorities have identified the alleged shooter as Michael Halberstam, who investigators found had been terminated from his job at UPS and had a previous narcotics charge and a misdemeanor assault charge. Flowers said the suspect had been posting "some negative items" about the Indian River Sheriff’s Office on a social media account.
Over the past month, the sheriff’s office had received seven calls from the home, "almost all" of which were from the mother calling about her son, Flowers said.
Still, deputies weren't expecting any trouble when they arrived at the home since "this was a standard call for service," the sheriff said.
It was not immediately known whether Mashkow had fired her weapon. "Our officers did fire at him and he was struck multiple times," Flowers said.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier acknowledged the shooting during an earlier news conference Friday, saying, "Just wanted to take a couple moments of silence for the officers that were in the line of duty."
Vero Beach is more than 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of West Palm Beach.
What We Know About the Shooting Victims
Flowers said Mashkow had worked as a dispatcher for several years, before becoming part of the legal process civil unit at the department in 2024.
The deputy shot in the shoulder was named as Tino Arizpe. He was expected to make a full recovery, after being transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital.
Officers shot the suspect, Halberstam, who remained in a critical condition in surgery, Flowers said. The sheriff said investigations were underway into whether the suspect should have been able to possess a firearm.
What People Are Saying
Sheriff Eric Flowers, speaking to reporters Friday: "This was the second line-of-duty death in this hundred years of the Indian County Sheriff's Office. Today I have the unfortunate task of telling you we have the second line-of-duty death."
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on X: "We are aware of an officer involved shooting in Indian River County. We are praying for the brave officers who put their lives on the line to protect Florida and our families."
What's Next
The investigation remains open into the incident.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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