Deputy-involved shooting witness speaks out, family disputes PBSO account of man's death

SUBURBAN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- - The investigation into the deputy-involved shooting that left a 17-year-old man dead outside a Suburban West Palm Beach home continued on Friday.

Several Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies remained on scene, telling NewsChannel 5 they were there to keep the peace in what has turned into a very emotional and high tension situation at times.

Investigators said deputies responded Thursday night to the 5700 block of Orchard Way after receiving a report of suspicious activity.

Deputies reported then they arrived, they found two men in a car and removed them.

One of them, Claude Jolicoeur, allegedly ran from police while the other, Andre Shanks, remained with a deputy.

Investigators said a struggle broke out between deputies and Jolicoeur, where Jolicoeur was then shot after he allegedly pulled out a TEC-22 firearm.

Shanks, who was with Jolicoeur when deputies search the two men, showed up at the scene on Friday to pay his respects

"Claude tried to run, they grabbed him, they tackled him and then they pulled him down and then I just heard like five shots. And then he was dead," said Shanks, "I didn't see any gun. They yelled out he had a gun after they shot him. That's when I heard it, after the four or five shots. They yelled out he got a gun."

Shanks is not facing any charges according to PBSO.

Detectives spent Friday afternoon attempted to interview witnesses and neighbors in the area as they continued to investigate the deadly shooting.

PBSO also claimed Jolicoeur was somehow tied to the shooting death of former K-9, Drake. A spokesperson said Jolicoeur knew the alleged shooter and worked with him on past crimes.

"What would that have to do with anything if he knew them? He has no connection to that crime. They have no evidence that he was there. There's nothing. They're just making stuff up," said Rodgerick Smith, a friend of Jolicoeur.

PBSO said it does not deal in emotions, just facts. Once the investigation is finished, PBSO said it would release the findings.