Authorities said a multi-agency team was trying to arrest a man wanted on Colorado warrants.
VERO BEACH, FL — A U.S. Marshal was shot in the leg and a suspect was wounded during a late-night gunfight near Vero Beach as deputies from two Florida counties and federal officers tried to arrest a man wanted on warrants from Colorado, sheriffs’ officials said.
The shooting on Monday night, March 2, added to a tense stretch for law enforcement in Florida and underscored the risks of fugitive arrests that bring together local deputies and federal task force officers. Sheriffs in Indian River and Martin counties said their teams were conducting a planned “tactical takedown” when the suspect opened fire, forcing officers to shoot back. Investigators from local agencies and federal partners were assigned to review what happened, and the deputies involved were placed on routine paid administrative leave.
Officials said the exchange happened shortly before 8:30 p.m. at the intersection of 12th Street and Commerce Avenue, just south of the Vero Beach city limits. Deputies with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office were working alongside a Martin County deputy and a U.S. Marshal as part of a joint effort to locate a fugitive, authorities said. The multi-agency team used their vehicles to box in the suspect’s vehicle, trying to end the arrest quickly and safely. Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said investigators later reviewed body camera video and concluded officers were “clearly” in a gunfight. “Instead of coming out and giving up, he came out shooting,” Budensiek said at a scene briefing, describing the moment officers moved in.
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said the suspect fired first, and officers returned fire. A deputy U.S. Marshal was struck in the leg and taken to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, where the marshal was treated. The marshal was expected to recover, officials said. Flowers also said an Indian River County deputy was injured during the incident, though officials did not immediately provide details about the deputy’s wound. The suspect, described by officials as a man with a high-risk warrant, was transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce with injuries described as life-threatening by sheriff’s officials. It was not immediately clear how many shots were fired or how many times the suspect was hit.
Federal officials said the suspect was wanted out of Colorado on warrants that included allegations of sex assault, strangulation and assault. Brady McCarron, a public affairs officer for the U.S. Marshals Service, said the shooting involved the U.S. Marshals Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force and occurred while officers were attempting to arrest the suspect on those outstanding warrants. The suspect’s name was not released, and Flowers said the names of the law enforcement officers involved would be provided later. The U.S. Marshals Service, citing policy, said it does not release the names of deputy marshals involved in shootings until investigations are complete.
Flowers and Budensiek described the operation as the kind of joint work reserved for high-risk suspects. “We don’t work joint operations like this unless we’re tracking down really bad guys,” Flowers said at the scene, adding that the suspect “did not want to go to prison.” Flowers said there were no reports of bystanders being hit by gunfire. He also said the suspect was still alive while being transported from the scene and continued to shout at officers. “As he left the scene he was still being very vulgar and negative towards our folks,” Flowers said in remarks later carried by local media.
Authorities said the area around 12th Street was shut down for hours as investigators worked under bright scene lights, marking evidence and documenting the positions of vehicles and people involved. Yellow crime scene tape blocked 12th Street from U.S. 1 to the nearby railroad tracks, officials said. Budensiek said the intersection would remain closed for several hours, and Indian River County deputies warned of overnight traffic impacts as detectives stayed on scene. The School District of Indian River County said some bus routes were rerouted Tuesday morning because of the closures, but campuses opened and operated normally. The district said it remained in contact with local authorities about traffic conditions in the area.
Investigators from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and federal partners were assigned to the case, authorities said, with the FBI also responding. Sheriffs said their agencies and federal officials would conduct a joint investigation into the shooting, reviewing body camera video, radio traffic, witness statements and physical evidence. Officials said they would also examine the suspect’s actions leading up to the arrest attempt, including how officers located him and whether he was tied to any activity in Florida. Flowers said further details about the Colorado warrant and the suspect’s background were not immediately available at the time of the initial briefings.
The shooting also triggered standard post-incident steps for the deputies involved. The Indian River County and Martin County deputies who fired their weapons were placed on paid administrative leave, which officials described as routine while investigators determine exactly what occurred. Law enforcement agencies in Florida commonly follow that practice after an officer-involved shooting as a way to preserve the integrity of the investigation and to allow involved personnel time away from regular duty. Budensiek said the initial review of video supported the officers’ accounts that they faced gunfire as they moved in, but he said a full review would take longer and would include findings from federal partners.
Flowers emphasized that investigators will decide later whether the case proceeds in state court, federal court or both. “We will bring justice in this case,” Flowers said, adding that authorities would push for the strongest possible penalties if the suspect survives and is able to face charges. Officials said investigators will also assess any additional crimes connected to the shooting itself, including potential charges tied to firing at law enforcement officers during an attempted arrest. The State Attorney’s Office responded to the scene, Flowers said, and prosecutors will receive investigative reports once they are completed.
On Tuesday, officials said they expected to release more information as investigators completed early interviews and confirmed records tied to the Colorado warrants. The scene briefing featured both sheriffs standing near patrol vehicles and crime scene tape as officers continued work behind them. Budensiek described the incident as a “real-deal gun fight,” and Flowers said the team responded as trained. “Our team did exactly what they were trained to do,” Flowers said. Officials did not immediately say whether any officers’ vehicles were struck by bullets or whether nearby property was damaged, and they did not provide a count of officers who fired.
For residents and drivers near the commercial corridor just south of Vero Beach, the immediate impact was the road closure and a heavy law enforcement presence that stretched late into the night. Deputies blocked traffic, and investigators walked the roadway in small groups, pausing at marked spots and photographing the scene. By early Tuesday, authorities said the investigation was continuing, and they urged patience as the intersection reopened and traffic returned to normal flow. Officials said the next updates would come as names can be released and as medical conditions for the injured marshal, deputy and suspect are confirmed.
The marshal’s injury was described as non-life-threatening, and the marshal was expected to recover. The suspect remained hospitalized, and authorities said the investigation would continue regardless of whether the suspect survives. Officials said they would provide the next major update after investigators finish early evidence review and coordinate with federal partners.
Author note: Last updated March 3, 2026.