A Broward County Sheriff's Office deputy fatally shot a man in Weston yesterday morning after an altercation, authorities said. The incident unfolded just after 9 a.m. when deputies responded to a call regarding a "possible suspicious person" in the vicinity of the 1400 block of Capri Lane, at the 10X Weston apartment complex, as reported by CBS Miami.
The sheriff's office said the individual, later identified as 55-year-old Mario Bonilla, exited his vehicle armed and "charged at the deputies causing one of the deputies to quickly decide to fire his weapon," BSO spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright explained. Bonilla was pronounced dead at the scene, while no other injuries were reported following the shooting, as noted by WPBF.
Wanda Cordero, who identified herself as Bonilla's mother-in-law, conveyed her disbelief and sorrow to CBS Miami in an interview, stating, "I don't understand, he wasn't a violent person. This is a total shock for us, for the family, for my daughter, for his family." Prior to the incident, the sheriff's office had posted an alert for Bonilla, describing him as missing and endangered, after he left a note for his wife on Saturday morning. The possibility of a 'suicide by cop' circumstance is currently under investigation.
"He had no signs at all, at all," Cordero shared, describing her son-in-law as "the happiest man in the world." Amidst the grief and the unfolding investigation, Coleman-Wright said that authorities are "looking into all aspects of what happened," as they try to piece together the lead-up to the tragic incident, as CBS Miami reported. The sheriff's department has not yet released additional information about the deputy involved or the precise circumstances leading to Bonilla's decision to apparently confront the law enforcement officers.
As the community grapples with the aftermath of the fatal encounter, those struggling with thoughts of suicide or crisis are reminded they can seek help from the suicide and crisis lifeline by dialing 9-8-8 — a resource mentioned by CBS Miami in the wake of the shooting.
