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Suspect In Deputy's Fatal Shooting In Custody

by mpress | November 7, 2007 at 06:36 am

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Update: POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- The man suspected of
fatally shooting a jail transport deputy and stealing the transport van
outside a Pompano Beach strip club Wednesday morning has been taken
into custody, Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said.

Authorities
said Michael Mazza was apprehended at 6020 Hollywood Blvd. The gun used
in the shooting was also recovered, Lamberti said. Details of his
apprehension were not immediately available.Deputy Paul Rein, a
20-year veteran of the Broward Sheriff's Office, was pronounced dead at
North Broward Medical Center, Lamberti said.

Authorities identified the suspect as Michael Mazza, 40. He was being transported to court, where he was on trial on charges of bank robbery and eluding police.

Officials said Mazza threw the deputy from the transport van, shot and critically wounded the deputy before fleeing with his gun and the van.A witness to the shooting told NBC 6 that the deputy appeared to be bleeding badly.”He wasn’t moving,” she said. “They were trying to stabilize him on a stretcher and it looked like they were trying to wrap him up. He was very bloody.”Traffic was backed up for miles around the scene at Powerline and Hammondville roads as investigators and deputies flooded the area, searching for the suspect.

Schools Locked Down During Search

Eleven schools in Broward County were locked down as officers searched for the suspect. They are: Tradewinds Elementary, Winston Elementary, Norcrest Elementary, Coral Park Elementary, Coconut Creek Elementary, Coconut Creek High School, Monarch High School, Lyons Creek Middle School, Charles Drew Elementary, Markham Elementary and Sanders Park Elementary.BSO said they have asked Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties for assistance searching for Mazza. Helicopters from the three counties were hovering in the area, searching for the van.Mazza is described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall and about 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket and white shirt.Anyone who sees Mazza should call 911. He is considered to be armed and dangerous.

Source: NBC6

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — Authorities are searching for a prisoner suspected of shooting a jail transport deputy outside a Pompano Beach strip club Wednesday morning.The shooting occurred outside Diamond Dolls, located at 1401 N. Powerline Road.A large perimeter has been established in the area and authorities throughout South Florida are assisting in the search.

According to BSO spokesman Elliot Cohen, the deputy’s weapon and transport van are missing. The suspect is Michael Mazza, Cohen said.

Authorities said there was a struggle inside the van when Mazza shot the deputy, pushed him out of the vehicle and drove off. The deputy was transported to North Broward Medical Center. Cohen said his condition was “very serious.”

Source: WPLG