MARGATE, Fla. – Margate police say an 82-year-old man was fatally shot by an officer Sunday afternoon after he pointed the gun at numerous people and now his son is speaking out about his father’s actions.
Tony Suarez described his father Tuesday as a frail man under a lot of stress.
Margate police said he pointed a gun at them and they were forced to fire. Suarez believes this is exactly what his father may have wanted.
“We just didn’t catch that and he was reaching out for help,” Suarez said.
Jose Anthony Suarez was the elderly man shot and killed by a Margate police officer after they said he was waiving a gun in the air and firing into the ground before pointing it at officers.
“We are still in disbelief that he actually did this,” Suarez said.`
Suarez says he believes the outcome of that fatal police-involved shooting was his father’s intention.
This being the a tragic result of being unable to deal with his wife Rita’s dementia and health issues of his own.
“He told the doctor that he wanted to die and that was his intention, and we said, ‘Dad, it is OK.’ I thought it was just the stress,” Suarez said.
That stress may have been what led the 82-year-old to fire a shot that police said hit a vehicle next to a little league baseball park where children were seen running for cover.
When officers arrived, they said they were forced to fire for their safety and the safety of others.
While this son remembers the man he knew as Papa Jo, he says his father was loved by his family, enjoyed fishing, telling jokes and playing cards.
Suarez said while he may have wanted to end his own life, he doesn’t believe he ever wanted to hurt anyone else.
“He wanted to die and that’s the path that he chose,” Suarez said.
Jose Suarez is survived by his wife, three children, seven brothers and sisters, and 22 nieces and nephews.
No officers or civilians were injured during the incident.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the police-involved shooting, per standard protocol.
The officer who discharged their weapon has been placed on administrative leave, pending the results of the investigation, which is also standard protocol.