Fort Lauderdale police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating two suspicious fires and officers' interactions with a man holding, what the police chief calls, "incendiary devices."
"The suspect was given verbal commands to drop, and did not comply. As a result, there was an officer involved shooting. The suspect, who is an adult male, was pronounced dead on scene by fire rescue," says Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Bill Schultz.
He calls the fires, about a block and a few hours apart, arsons.
"Our investigation into these arsons and the subsequent officer-involved shooting remains ongoing and we will investigate all possibilities including the connection to the fire that preceded this fire," he added.
A property manager in the area says homeless gather nearby, but the chief wouldn't confirm if the suspect were homeless.
The two officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard during investigations.