Police say the robber was trying to get into Publix. They warned him, then fired
Police say they fatally shot a robbery suspect trying to enter a South Florida Publix store.
Boynton Beach police have identified the suspect as Adalbert Rodriguez, a 63-year-old Lantana resident with a history of armed robberies.
In a media briefing, Police Chief Michael Gregory said officers received a call of an armed robbery that occurred around 5:15 p.m Sunday at a Dollar Tree near the Boynton Lakes Plaza. Four minutes later, officers spotted Rodriguez attempting to enter a Publix in the plaza.
According to Gregory, officers saw that Rodriguez was armed and told him to stop several times. When he continued walking toward the Publix entrance, the chief said his officers opened fire. The suspect died in the shooting.
“It would have been a catastrophe if that subject had gotten inside the Publix,” Gregory said in a briefing. “We are grateful that the officers were not injured nor were the folks who were here shopping and working in Publix.”
Authorities didn’t release the number of officers involved in the shooting. All of the officers have been placed on administrative leave per department policy, Gregory said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the officer-involved shooting.
Records show that Rodriguez served more than 15 years in prison on charges from two separate armed robbery incidents in Palm Beach County.
This story was originally published July 29, 2019 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Police say the robber was trying to get into Publix. They warned him, then fired."
