Fort Lauderdale, FL - Fort Lauderdale police officers fatally shot a man holding incendiary devices in a commercial parking lot on Thursday morning, following a fire report in the area.
Authorities responded to a 6:30 a.m. call about a large fire at 5341 NW 333 Avenue.
Upon arriving at the scene alongside Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, officers found a blazing pile of debris next to a shopping cart.
The situation escalated when officers encountered a man holding incendiary devices near the fire.
Despite being given multiple verbal commands to drop the items, the suspect did not comply.
Officers gave repeated commands, but the suspect refused to drop the incendiary devices, leading to an officer-involved shooting.
Two officers discharged their weapons during the confrontation, fatally wounding the suspect.
The police did not confirm whether the man had attempted to throw or use the incendiary devices before being shot.
Firefighters extinguished the flames shortly after, with no structural damage reported in the vicinity.
Earlier that morning, around 3 a.m., another structure fire occurred just a block away.
Investigators are now working to determine if the two incidents are connected.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is conducting an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
The two officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard protocol during such investigations.