Video shows man kicking, punching, dragging Florida deputy before being fatally shot

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Video taken from a balcony captured the tense moments leading up to a fatal shooting of a Lauderdale Lakes man by a Broward deputy, the Miami Herald reports.

The video released by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Friday shows 42-year-old Jean Pedro Pierre dragging and attacking Deputy Sean Youngward before a second deputy shoots him.

At the time, the deputies were responding to a report of a disturbance at a Lauderdale Lakes condominium.

Pierre is seen dragging Youngward by his left leg as his neighbors beg Pierre to let him go. The deputy calls for backup after his baton and taser failed to subdue his attacker.

Pierre continues to drag attack the deputy and then another officer, Deputy Steven Briggs comes into the picture.

“Tase him, tase him; don’t shoot him,” a bystander yells.

Briggs tries tasing Pierre but was unsuccessful.

“Let it go, bro. They’re gonna shoot you, man,” one man yells. “Think smart, bro,” says another.

Pierre finally lets the officer go, then charges at Briggs who shoots him three times. Pierre can be seen falling in the parking lot.

Pierre was transported to Broward Health Medical Center, where he later died.

“Youngward tried to stop the violent attack by deploying his Taser and using his ASP (extending baton). Neither form of less-lethal force stopped Pierre from assaulting him,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

“[Deputy] Briggs ordered Pierre to stop,” BSO added. “Instead, Pierre charged at [Deputy] Briggs and several shots were fired. Pierre was not armed.”

At a press conference Friday, Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said he released the video to quash rumors and speculation about the shooting that were circulating on social media.

“Unarmed assailants take guns away from police officers and they are many police officers in the United States of America who tragically have died at the hands of their own weapons,” Israel said.

Pierre’s sister Giuliane Jean told CBS Miami his family is devastated.

“This is not my brother,” Jean said. “He was not a violent person. He was a good guy.”

Pierre’s daughter Shania told the affiliate her father’s actions may have been caused by a stroke he had a few years ago.

“I know my dad didn’t mean it,” she told the network. “He didn’t mean it at all. My dad, he had a mental health issue that nobody knew about and I wish the police knew about it before killing him.”