School police: Man shot by officer at Suncoast High was aggressor, faces multiple charges
A Riviera Beach police officer was "forced" to fire her gun to protect herself, students and staff members during a confrontation with a man Monday morning in the parking lot of Suncoast Community High School, according to a Palm Beach County School District Police arrest report made public Tuesday, April 23.
Officers took Delroy Thomas, 29, of Riviera Beach into custody after he allegedly trespassed on school grounds and fought with Riviera Beach officer Nodane Cherisma as she attempted to stop him from entering the campus as students were arriving at the school.
The officer shot Thomas twice during the confrontation, according to the arrest report. He was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center and was in stable condition Monday afternoon. Jail records showed that he remained at the hospital as School District of Palm Beach County Police formally arrested him.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting at the request of Riviera Beach police. The state agency often takes over investigations in cases where a law enforcement officer shoots someone.
City police did not disclose how long Cherisma has been with the department or say whether she has been placed on administrative leave, a policy many departments follow after officer-involved shootings. A department spokesperson said she could not discuss the case, citing the active investigation.
Thomas faces charges that include battery on a law-enforcement officer, resisting with violence and trespassing on school grounds, according to court records. Circuit Judge Donald Hafele on Tuesday appointed the Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office to represent Thomas. As a policy, it does not comment on open cases.
Thomas is scheduled for a bail hearing Wednesday, April 24 according to online court records.
Police: Man walked past school gate, ignored officer commands while trespassing on campus
According to the arrest report, Cherisma was working an overtime detail during drop-off Monday morning and was standing near the south gate of 17th Street and Avenue U. Chersima was checking to ensure that only Suncoast staff members entered the gate when she saw a man later identified as Thomas walk through it and then past her.
A school police officer reported seeing Cherisma follow Thomas as he walked toward the school and heard Cherisma give him verbal commands. A woman who had just dropped off her child said she was exiting the campus when she saw Cherisma and Thomas "tussling," describing Thomas as the aggressor.
Another witness said Thomas was fighting and aggressively trying to hurt Cherisma with his arms and legs. His arrest report indicated the officer was able to create only a few feet of distance as Thomas continued to attack her.
The arrest report said Cherisma asked a school police officer for help, but the school officer was unable to reach her in time.
Related: Police officer shoots man after Suncoast High parking lot confrontation; FDLE investigates
"As a result of Thomas' unprovoked attack, Officer Cherisma was forced to use deadly force to stop the immediate threat to herself and any possible threat to the students and staff on campus," an investigating officer wrote.
Following the shooting, the school was placed on immediate lockdown and then transitioned to limited movement, the school district said. No students or staff members were harmed during the incident, and police stressed that there was no danger to the public.
Nearby school campuses, including Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Washington Elementary, and John F. Kennedy Middle School, were partially locked down following the incident.
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Officers from the school district police, Riviera Beach police, FDLE and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office responded after reports of the shooting came in about 7:30 a.m. Suncoast administrators sent an email to parents about 8:30 a.m., saying they were allowed to pick up their students and take them home for the rest of the day.
In an email to parents Monday afternoon, Suncoast principal Kathryn Koerner said school counselors and a therapy dog would be available Tuesday for students and staff to help process the incident.
"I am very proud of the composure our students and staff displayed during the police incident on our campus this morning," she wrote. "Thank you to our students, administrators, teachers and staff who acted quickly and calmly to secure our campus. I’m also grateful for the patience of our parents while we conduct a secured dismissal process through the end of the day."
Staff writer Katherine Kokal contributed to this story.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man shot by police officer at Suncoast High facing multiple charges
