Pompano Beach neighbors shaken after fatal mansion standoff with BSO deputies
A Pompano Beach community is dealing with the aftermath of a rare violent episode that stretched for hours on Tuesday.
Standoff ends in fatal shooting
A man, who was later identified as 39-year-old Esterlin Appolon, was killed inside a multimillion-dollar mansion on the beach during a confrontation with Broward Sheriff's Office deputies.
The incident began Tuesday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. when deputies responded to the 2300 block of Bay Drive after reports of a suspicious person at one of the properties.
When deputies arrived, they said the armed man barricaded himself in a room and rebuffed attempts to negotiate a surrender.
BSO said two microdrones were sent in along with a trained canine, but ultimately they were forced to fire, killing the intruder.
Incident leaves neighborhood residents shaken
"I started to realize something happened but not this crazy," said Ani Sisul, who lives in the neighborhood.
She watched the drama unfold as BSO blocked streets in the neighborhood for hours Tuesday.
"What I feel most unsafe about is how easy it is to get a gun," she said.
Late Wednesday, a cleaning crew showed up to take care of the aftermath and others checked on the property. The house is for sale, but the owner is rarely there.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.