BELLE GLADE, Fla. — Palm Beach County deputies shot a man Thursday morning in Belle Glade after he allegedly attacked and severely injured a woman, according to the sheriff's office.
The suspect was shot in the 900 block of Southwest Avenue G Place at about 10:45 a.m.
WATCH BELOW: Deputies forced to shoot man after he attacked woman, sheriff says
During an afternoon news conference, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said they received a call from residents that a man had assaulted a woman and she was "on the ground, bleeding heavily with a severe head injury."
"The suspect, unprovoked, struck the victim with a large rock," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "A neighbor across the street witnessed the attack and attempted to retreat into her home. The suspect then turned his attention to the neighbor and attempted to forcibly enter her residence by throwing an object through a window."
When deputies arrived at the scene, they encountered the suspect, who the sheriff said was holding a large rock along with some type of sharp weapon.
Bradshaw said the deputies told the man to "drop the weapons" repeatedly, but he refused to comply.
The man then started to walk toward the deputies, who began to retreat, while still asking him to drop his weapons, according to the sheriff.
"At that point, they tried to Taser the individual. It did not work on him. He got hit twice with it. They tried to deploy it three times," Bradshaw said.
The sheriff said that while this was happening, the man was still trying to come at the deputies.
After telling the man again to drop the weapons, Bradshaw said the suspect threw the large rock at one of the deputies and then came up in a "threatening fashion" with the other weapon.
"That's when the deputies shot him (in the lower abdomen), and he fell to the ground," Bradshaw said.
The sheriff said the woman was attacked while unloading groceries from her car and had to undergo surgery at a hospital after suffering a "pretty severe head injury." Despite the injury, Bradshaw said she is expected to "be OK."
The sheriff's office did not identify the man whom deputies shot, but said his wound was not a life-threatening injury.
"It's obvious this guy was pretty hopped up on something, either narcotics or he's got a really bad mental problem," Bradshaw said.
The sheriff's office said no deputies were injured in the shooting.
Bradshaw said two deputies were involved in the encounter, and they have been placed on administrative leave.
Criminal charges are pending against the suspect.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.
