Man accused of shooting girlfriend in Auburndale pulls gun on deputies who shot him: PCSO

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - A man was shot by Polk County law enforcement officers Friday morning after investigators say he shot his girlfriend twice, killing her outside a Spectrum store in Auburndale.

Auburndale store parking lot shooting

What we know:

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the shooting happened in the parking lot of the Spectrum store on U.S. Highway 92 West.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the incident began shortly after 9 a.m. when 911 received a call reporting a possible suicide in the Spectrum store parking lot. As Auburndale police officers and PCSO deputies responded, more 911 callers reported that shots were still being fired.

When officers and deputies arrived, they said they found a woman in her 20s lying on the ground with gunshot wounds. Officials also said they found Derrick Brathwaite, 39, lying nearby holding a firearm.

According to PCSO, when law enforcement approached him, Brathwaite pointed the gun at them. Judd said responding officers with the Auburndale Police Department and two deputies with PCSO then fired multiple rounds, hitting Brathwaite.

"When you have somebody with such determination laying, manipulating the handgun and trying to clear a malfunction, we don't know if he shot at the officers and he pointed it at them and they shot him. They shot him a lot," said Chief Terry Storie with the Auburndale Police Department. 

Deputies immediately began providing emergency medical care to both the woman and Brathwaite, but both died from their injuries. No deputies were injured in the shooting.

Domestic violence threats

Dig deeper:

Judd said the preliminary investigation indicates Brathwaite shot the woman before confronting deputies with a gun.

Investigators are reviewing evidence from multiple witnesses and surveillance video from the Spectrum store as part of the ongoing investigation. Deputies said it remains under investigation whether Brathwaite fired any shots at deputies before they opened fire.

Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Relationship between victim and suspect

According to investigators, the victim and Brathwaite were in a relationship and shared a 3-year-old child. Sheriff Judd said witnesses reported that Brathwaite threatened the victim the day before the shooting, saying he intended to kill both her and himself.

Investigators said the victim dropped their 3-year-old son off at Brathwaite's parents' home Friday morning before she drove to Spectrum in Auburndale, where she worked. She reportedly stopped at a nearby Wendy's before arriving at the parking lot of her work.

A witness reported hearing two gunshots before the woman was found critically wounded outside of her car. Investigators said they are still working to determine what sparked the confrontation.

Suspect's criminal history

Judd said Brathwaite has an extensive criminal record, including 31 felony arrests and 24 misdemeanor arrests. Additional information about those cases was not immediately released.

Deputy identities withheld

What we don't know:

The victim’s identity is being withheld under Marsy's Law. The names of the deputies involved in the shooting will not be released for at least 72 hours, according to PCSO.

"When the law allows us, we will release that information to you," Judd said.

The sheriff also defended the deputies' actions, saying, "You point a gun at our deputies, you will get shot."

What's next:

The investigation remains active as detectives continue interviewing witnesses, reviewing surveillance footage and processing evidence from the scene.