The suspect who shot and killed an Indian River County deputy during an eviction in Vero Beach on Friday has died, the sheriff’s office said.
In a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said Michael Halberstam, the man identified as the suspect in the shooting death of Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow, died from his injuries around 3:41 p.m.
Additionally, the sheriff’s office said that Mashkow was also posthumously promoted to sergeant within its ranks and from now on, will be addressed as Sgt. Mashkow. Her funeral services will also be provided at a later date, the agency added.
Thank you to all of our community for your continued support during these difficult times,” the sheriff’s office said.
A routine eviction call turns deadly
Mashkow, a 47-year-old deputy and 25-year veteran of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, was fatally wounded when gunfire erupted during what Sheriff Eric Flowers described as a routine call for service. Her death marked the second time that a deputy was killed in the line of duty in 100 years.
The shooting took place at a gated community in the 1100 block of Governors Way in Vero Beach, roughly 140 miles north of Miami. According to Flowers, Mashkow and other deputies were carrying out an eviction requested by Halberstam’s family when the violence broke out.
“This is not someone that was on our radar – this was our standard call for service, the eviction, the regular duties that our officers do day in and day out,” Flowers said Friday during a press conference.
Halberstam, who was described to be in his 30s, was shot by deputies and hospitalized in critical condition, where he underwent surgery. He then died from his injuries on Saturday afternoon.
Authorities said Halberstam had a prior criminal record in Virginia and officials said there had been at least one previous call for service at the residence where the eviction and shooting took place.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he learned of the deputy-involved shooting just as he was beginning a news conference Friday morning.
“We are praying for the brave officers who put their lives on the line to protect Florida and our families,” Uthmeier wrote on X.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also confirmed that three deputies had been shot. The other two deputies remain hospitalized as of Saturday evening.
