VERO BEACH, Fla. — An eviction notice served by law enforcement agents at a South Florida gated community turned deadly on Friday, as one deputy was killed and others were injured in a shooting, authorities said.
Terri Mashkow, 47, an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office deputy with 25 years of service, was killed in the Friday morning shooting, Sheriff Eric Flowers said during a news conference.
“I’m absolutely heartbroken,” the sheriff said. “I worked my entire career with Terri.
“Having to call her mom today, having to let her husband know, (is) absolutely the worst part of being a law enforcement leader. Terri was an amazing deputy with a beautiful heart. She will be missed.”
Mashkow was killed in a Bermuda Club community residence in Vero Beach. Another deputy, Florentino “Tino” Arizpe, was shot in the shoulder and a locksmith is in critical condition, Flowers said.
A third deputy was not injured.
The alleged shooter, Michael Halberstam, 37, suffered gunshot wounds and was in critical condition at an area hospital, Flowers said.
It was the second “line of duty” death of a deputy in Indian River County since the county was formed on May 30, 1925.
According to the sheriff, three deputies had gone to the residence to serve an eviction notice on Halberstam.
Deputies said the suspect’s mother had placed seven calls to the residence over the past month, and she decided to have him evicted.
“This was not someone that was on our radar; this was not someone that we were actively engaged with,” Flowers said. “This was a standard call for service.”
WFTV reported that Halberstam is the son of the owner.
As deputies stood in the entryway of the residence, Halberstam allegedly retrieved a weapon and began firing “indiscriminately” at the deputies, Flowers said.
Flowers said that Halberstam had recently been fired by UPS and had been making some “strange posts” on social media about his former employer and the sheriff’s office.
Flowers said that in general, deputies commonly handle evictions without incident. But on Friday, the situation escalated.
“They encounter people who are in distress,” Flowers said. That’s not unusual. An eviction is a tense moment."
We are aware of an officer involved shooting in Indian River County.
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) November 21, 2025
We are praying for the brave officers who put their lives on the line to protect Florida and our families.
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