INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Sheriff Eric Flowers offered new details on Dec. 12 on the Nov. 21 shooting that left Sgt. Terri Sweeting-Mashkow and locksmith David Long dead and Deputy Tino Arizpe wounded, describing the attack as a devastating ambush during what should have been a routine eviction.
Flowers said the agency has spent the weeks since the shooting trying to support employees shaken by the violence.
“This week, our team paused in an effort to move forward and heal,” he said.
Sweeting-Mashkow, a 25-year veteran who was posthumously promoted to sergeant, was killed when resident Michael Halberstam opened fire as deputies and Long entered the home at 1137 Governors Way in Vero Beach. Arizpe survived a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Deputies returned fire, and Halberstam later died at the hospital.
Flowers said deputies followed the proper procedures on the eviction call.
“Those folks did nothing wrong on this call,” he said. “This could’ve been any call for service where somebody decided to ambush our deputies. It just so happened that it was an eviction.”
The sheriff said the State Attorney’s Office is conducting a parallel review and that a grand jury will ultimately evaluate the case.
“Our folks will have to testify as to what happened that day,” he said. “We will have to wait to give you all the details you want.”
As part of his update, Flowers addressed earlier comments about prior calls to Halberstam’s home. He said deputies first responded Nov. 5 after Halberstam’s mother sought help removing her son from the residence. They returned Nov. 7 for a standby as items were retrieved, posted the initial eviction paperwork Nov. 10, and made further standbys on Nov. 13. Sweeting-Mashkow delivered a final notice Nov. 20 stating Halberstam would be evicted the next day.
“An eviction is not a criminal process, this is not something we deploy our SWAT team for,” Flowers said, adding that Long, the locksmith, had been hired by Halberstam’s mother rather than the Sheriff’s Office.
Flowers also clarified his earlier remark that Halberstam had not been “on our radar,” saying the agency had no prior arrests, Baker Acts or risk protection orders involving him. While there had been calls to the home, Flowers said, none met the threshold for an arrest or involuntary mental health evaluation.
He closed by thanking residents for their support since the shooting, saying the community’s response has helped the agency cope with the loss. Sweeting-Mashkow’s funeral was held Dec. 2 at the Corporate Air hangar in Vero Beach, where hundreds gathered to honor her 25 years of service.