Michael Halberstam: Indian River shooting suspect wrote anti-police comments on social media, officials say

Central Florida sees 3 police standoffs in almost as many days

Central Florida law enforcement responded to three separate police standoffs in almost as many days, including one that left three people dead. In Deltona, Volusia County deputies confronted a man armed with multiple weapons who was reportedly setting fires in the street on Patron Avenue. In Brevard County, an hours-long standoff in Titusville ended with the arrest of a man who police said had threatened family members—meanwhile, a shooting during an eviction in Indian River County on Friday left a deputy, a locksmith, and the suspect dead.

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. - A deputy has died and another was injured on Friday after a suspect opened fire as law enforcement officials were attempting to serve an eviction notice in Indian River County, according to the sheriff.

Authorities said the man who allegedly shot and killed the deputy had made negative social media posts about the sheriff’s office prior to the incident.

What we know:

Deputies were at a home in Vero Beach to serve an eviction notice to Michael Halberstam, authorities said. 

While deputies were in the entryway, Halberstam grabbed a weapon and began "indiscriminately firing" at law enforcement, Sheriff Eric Flowers said in a news conference. Deputies fired back. Halberstam was also hit during the shooting.

Deputy Terri Mashkow, 47, was killed in the shooting, Flowers said. Another deputy, who was shot in the shoulder, survived and was released from the hospital.

Deputy Terri Mashkow, 47, was killed in a Nov. 21 shooting that occurred when deputies served an eviction notice at a Vero Beach home. 

A locksmith, who was also at the scene, died in the shooting.

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Halberstam was transported to a hospital in critical condition, where he later died on Saturday, according to deputies.

What the suspect said on social media

Dig deeper:

According to Sheriff Flowers, the suspect had made posts on social media about his agency. However, the suspect was not on the department’s radar as a threat.

The sheriff’s office is still investigating his posts online to try and see what led up to the shooting.

"He had been posting some negative items about the Indian River County Sheriff’s office on his Facebook page," said Sheriff Flowers.

Michael Halberstam, 37, shot at Indian River deputies when the came to his mother's residence for an eviction notice on Nov. 21. He died on Nov. 22. 

A retired law enforcement expert says agencies scrub social media looking for online threats, but this suspect fell through the cracks.

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"Those intelligence agents from the sheriff pretty much know who the bad guys are and who are not. Unfortunately, in this case, this individual, I think, slipped under the rug and wasn’t identified quickly enough," said former Brevard deputy, Jamie Copenhaver.

What we don't know:

FOX 35 asked the sheriff’s office if they could confirm the suspect’s Facebook page and posts but has not heard back yet. It’s unclear if any policies will change relating to eviction calls after this fatal shooting.