PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies shot and killed a 51-year-old man Tuesday afternoon following a strong-arm robbery report and a pursuit that began in Lake Park, which continued along Interstate 95 and ended in a deadly confrontation near Boynton Beach.
On Wednesday, PBSO identified Gregory Dobkins as the man who was fatally shot. Court records show his final encounter with law enforcement was not his first.
WATCH BELOW: Man shot by deputies had lengthy criminal history, records show
Deputies said Dobkins was a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened Monday night when they located him in Lake Park using license plate readers. Deputies and state troopers then pursued him down I-95 before a confrontation in Boynton Beach ended in the shooting.
At the scene Tuesday, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw described the moment his deputy fired.
"He was actually in a kneeling position and raised up his hands in the shooting position, and that's when our deputy fired, struck him, and he was neutralized right there," Bradshaw said. "During this whole time, he's yelling too at the officers, right? 'You're gonna have to kill me. You're gonna have to kill me, you're gonna have to kill me.'"
Palm Beach County
Deadly PBSO-involved shootings: 5 reported this year
At the scene, Bradshaw told reporters Dobkins had a lengthy criminal history.
"He's obviously a serious bad guy," Bradshaw said.
WPTV dug through court records across Florida and found a history of theft, assault, drug convictions and other charges that go back decades. Arrest affidavits repeatedly reference a battle with addiction.
Most recently in 2025, Dobkins was accused of stealing merchandise from a Walgreens in Sarasota. Deputies wrote that when they confronted Dobkins, he was acting erratically, so they Baker Acted him. Court records show Dobkins pleaded guilty to petit theft and paid a fine.
Tuesday's deadly confrontation is still actively under investigation by state and county law enforcement. We're going to keep digging into this to better understand what happened, and will bring details as they are uncovered.
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