By: Jason Schwartz
The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office and Boca Raton police are investigating the shooting of a homeless man who climbed a tree and onto the roof of a building at Florida Atlantic University.
Nicholas Squire, 22, of no fixed address, was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer. He was in the Delray Medical Center. His condition was unknown at press time.
Squire told detectives that he was hoping the officer would shoot him in the head and wanted a “suicide by cop situation,” according to the arrest report.
The Feb. 8 incident began around 9 a.m. when an employee of an air conditioning company, Mark Young, went on the roof of Building 3, 3701 FAU Boulevard in the Research Park area to do some work.
Squire, who was wearing black shorts and a black shirt, asked Young for a cigarette, police said. Young gave two cigarettes to Squire, who walked away but remained on the roof.
Young came off the roof about 45 minutes later, locked the door to an access room and told the property manager about the man. The manager then called police.
FAU Police Chief Charles Lowe said his officers – Bill Hernandez and Gary Grande – went to the roof to remove Squire.
They found him leaning against a wall and said he began pacing as they approached. The officers also said Squire was looking over the side of the building as if he thought about jumping.
As officers continued to approach, Hernandez pulled out his Taser and Grander drew his handgun, according to the arrest report.
When they were about 10-to-15 feet away from Squire, they said he reached into his right pocket, pulled out a six-inch Gerber knife and ran at them.
Both fired. The Taser and two bullets struck Squire, who then fell to the ground. . Both officers have been put on paid administrative leave.
Squire was rushed to Delray Medical Center. His condition was not known at press time.
Lowe said no officers were hurt and no civilians were directly involved. He added that this was an isolated incident contained to the roof.
While there was no lockdown, people who work in the building where the shooting occurred were not being allowed in for a period of time during the investigation. The school was never evacuated.