Man killed as robbers hit pot in poker game

Man killed as robbers hit pot in poker game By Rafael A. Olmeda and Shannon O'Boye Staff Writers www.sun-sentinel.com Pompano Beach · A friendly game of cards turned deadly early Wednesday morning when two robbers tried to steal the money in the pot, the Broward Sheriff's Office said. One man was killed and two were injured in the shootout in the 2700 block of Northwest Fifth Street about 1 a.m. Wednesday. One of the injured men was one of the robbery suspects, a teenager whose last known address was a block away, according to the Sheriff's Office. The office is not releasing the name of the dead man because his family has not yet been notified. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is not publishing the name of the 17-year-old suspect because he is a juvenile, and although he may face murder charges, officials have not yet decided whether he will be charged as an adult. The other robber was at large Wednesday. Joanne Dixon, who lives in the house where the shooting took place, said she and several friends were wrapping up a small-stakes game of poker. The two robbers came in and tried to join the game, she said. "I told them no, we were in the middle of our last hand, and they should leave," Dixon said. That's when the two men pulled out handguns and tried to rob the card players. One of the players , "Bill," jumped up and wrestled with the 17-year-old for control of the gun, Dixon said. The other robber tried to shoot Bill but missed, striking a 38-year-old man several times, said Dixon. "It left me in a state of shock," she said. Dixon called Bill a hero for protecting the other players and putting his life at risk. The Sun-Sentinel has not been able to verify his last name. Sheriff's Office spokesman Hugh Graf confirmed that one of the card players disarmed the 17-year-old. During the shooting, the 17-year-old also was hit by gunfire. Dixon said it came from his accomplice's gun. Graf would not say which hospital was treating the suspect, who was in critical condition Wednesday evening. When he is released, he will face murder charges. The Sheriff's Office did not know the identity of the second shooter and provided only a vague description. Dixon said she had never seen him before. Another player, Booker Bryant, 47, was treated and released for a minor gunshot wound, Graf said. Dixon said she knows the 17-year- old suspect from the neighborhood and was surprised by his actions. "I don't know what got into [him]," she said. "He used to be a good associate, but somehow he turned against me. He tried to hurt me, but he ended up hurting himself instead." The Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about the other robber to call Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.