MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A 72-year-old Colorado doctor who recently arrived in Florida was responsible for a shooting Monday night involving multiple law enforcement officers in Indian River County, officials said.
Three Indian River County deputies, two Martin County deputies and one U.S. marshal were involved in the shooting at the intersection of 12th Street and Commerce Avenue near Vero Beach.
WATCH BELOW: Doctor, 72, involved in shooting with deputies, was accused of date rape in Colorado
Law enforcement said they were conducting a tactical takedown of a male suspect, identified as Thomas Earl Steffens, 72, who had a warrant out of Colorado.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Steffens, a former neurosurgeon, came to Florida by Greyhound bus after he was accused of drugging and raping a woman on Feb. 25 in Grand Junction, Colorado.
"Our suspect ... essentially did the date rape routine of putting drugs in her drink, sedating her, taking her home, raping her and then dropping her off back at the location that he picked her up," Budensiek said. "He was prescribing some of the medication to his wife, who did not know that the medication was prescribed to her, and then he was taking that medication and perpetrating the crime."
Before the shooting, Steffens had just arrived in Fort Pierce on Monday night and went to dinner at a local restaurant with a woman in Indian River County.
After Steffens and the woman left the restaurant on Monday, they went to a nearby Publix, but Budensiek said there were too many people around to take the suspect into custody.
After leaving the grocery store, Budensiek said the couple traveled west and were stopped by a passing train on 12th Street, so law enforcement made their move on Steffens.
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said the woman he was traveling with complied with their demands, but warned that Steffens was dangerous.
WATCH BELOW: Doctor, 72, identified in law enforcement shooting in Indian River County
"She got out of the vehicle. They pulled her back. She told them he has a gun. He's not going to go without a fight. They were giving him commands. They were telling him get out of the car ... but he refused to comply," Flowers said.
According to Flowers, the tactical team was getting ready to fire pepperball guns at Steffens when he opened fire on deputies and the U.S. marshal, prompting law enforcement to return fire.
"This guy made the decision that he wanted to shoot at deputies, and we shot back at him," Flowers said.
A U.S. marshal was struck in the leg, taken to the hospital and has been released from the hospital. Budensiek said it is also possible the marshal was struck by gunfire in his life vest, "which could have potentially saved his life."
Steffens was struck four times by bullets and taken to Lawnwood Medical Center in stable condition, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office. One Indian River County deputy was also hurt during the incident, but Flowers said he wasn't sure if it was from shrapnel or something else.
"When we finally did take him into custody, he was still defiant. He was still raising his middle finger at our deputies. He was still actively working against us, even though he had been shot four times," Flowers said.
Steffens was suspended in 2025 from a Veterans Affairs hospital for inappropriate behavior and is a suspect in other date rape cases.
Per the state of Colorado, Steffens still has an active medical license. As of Sept. 22, 2025, his license is restricted, and he has agreed not to practice medicine.
He was wanted on two counts of sexual assault, second-degree assault - strangulation and third-degree assault at the time of Monday night's shooting. Flowers said Steffens will also face attempted murder charges and potentially federal charges.
While Steffens was being investigated in Colorado, multiple "high-powered" weapons were recovered from his home.
"The team that was investigating this had constant intel that this suspect had made statements that he was going to go out in a blaze, that he was going to kill multiple law enforcement; I believe the number was three, that he intended to kill law enforcement, that he wasn't going to be taken alive," Flowers said.
Flowers said there is body camera video of the shooting, but since it is a U.S. Marshals case, the sheriff's office could not release it yet.
According to Budensiek, five law enforcement officers fired their weapons during the incident, but it was unclear how many rounds were discharged, only saying "it was a lot."
Scene of the shooting:
