BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Boynton Beach police have identified the Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy involved in what they call an attempted murder/suicide.
Michael DeMarco shot a woman before fatally shooting himself Thursday morning, police said Friday.
Officers were called to the Inlet Harbor Club, a gated community located near Potter Road and Federal Highway, at 8:06 a.m.
Investigators say DeMarco approached the woman as she walked her dog into the development when he shot her in the back and then fatally shot himself.
DeMarco and the victim began dating in May 2017 but broke up about three weeks ago.
The woman shot was taken to Delray Trauma Center and in critical but stable condition. She has still not been identified.
DeMarco was wearing a PBSO uniform at the time, dressed in a black embroidered shirt and khaki pants. He was sitting in a PBSO registered vehicle just prior to the shooting, according to a Boynton Beach Police spokesperson.
DeMarco served as a detective in civil process, according to a PBSO spokesperson.
DeMarco was hired by PBSO in 1995 and worked for the Lake Worth Police Department prior to that, starting his law enforcement career in 1987.
DeMarco worked as a football coach for Palm Beach Central High School in 2013, according to the Palm Beach County School District. WPTV interviewed DeMarco during a football game at the high school.
In 2008, DeMarco was the vice president of the West Boynton Football League, a youth football league.
Records show DeMarco and the victim lived a few apartments away from each other in the complex where the shooting happened.
In September, DeMarco filed a small claims suit against the woman for the return of a mirror and a mattress. They were scheduled to appear in court on November 1.
Contact 5 Investigators reached out to Delray Medical Center for an update on the woman’s condition but was referred to police, saying the patient is part of a law enforcement shooting.
DeMarco previously was married to another woman and had children with her. The two divorced in 2002.