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Palm Bay police said a gunman taunted and challenged them after shooting his wife Tuesday night, leaving them no choice but to shoot the man while trying to rescue the woman.The woman called 911 a little after 7 p.m., police said, and said her husband was threatening to shoot her. Three hours later, police could hear her from the front door.“She screamed out that she had been shot multiple times. She told our SWAT team that she was fading in and out of consciousness and didn’t think she was going to make it,” said Cmdr. John Resh with the Palm Bay Police Department.Police identified the husband as DeMarco Newman. They did not identify the wife.A family friend, who does not wish to be identified, said the relationship between husband and wife had been going downhill.“We were here Sunday to have him a birthday party, and they weren’t getting along,” the friend said.From inside the house Tuesday night, the victim said in a 911 call that she was barricaded in the bathroom. Her husband could be heard banging on the door. She screamed, and the line went dead. Three hours later, police broke down the door with a robot, heard her screaming and went in.“As they entered the house to go rescue the female, the suspect began to taunt and challenge the officers, stating that he was armed,” said Palm Bay Police Chief Mark Renkens. “While conducting the rescue, the SWAT officers encountered the husband, who was armed with a handgun, and were forced to shoot him.”The only officer who fired a shot was Sgt. Tom Ribnicky, according to Renkens. He was described by the chief as an outstanding veteran officer.Doctors were still trying to save the woman as she clung to life in the hospital Wednesday, police said.