HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hallandale Beach police on Tuesday released the identities of the suspect and officers involved in a shooting on Monday.
According to an arrest report, Sgt. Michael Scarpati and Officer Carolyn Rose responded to an apartment at 1116 NE 10th St. in reference to a report about a body discovered outside the building.
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Police said the officers arrived to find Richard James Barker, 80, slouched over the top of a city trash bin.
The officers tried to speak with Barker, at which point he turned around and pointed a Colt revolver at them, the report stated.
Scarpati shot at the suspect, authorities said.
One nearby resident told Local 10 News reporter Madeleine Wright that she heard seven to eight gunshots.
"We’ve been here 13 years and this has never happened before,” Gloria Cole said.
Another resident told Wright that Barker is his neighbor.
“He’s a nice guy. He’s an older guy. He was probably just unhappy, but he wasn’t a bad guy by any means,” Ronald Cammarata said. "It was just bizarre, honestly, coming home in the middle of the night, about to come home from my night shift and my next door neighbor is on the ground. It’s just really weird.”
Barker was taken to a local hospital. His condition has not been released.
According to Hallandale Beach police, Scarpati has been with the department for 14 years and Rose has been with the department for 6 ½ years.
Barker is facing two counts of assault on an officer.