A standard court order turned into a tragedy on Friday morning when a longtime Indian River County sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed while serving an eviction notice.
Authorities identified the fallen officer as Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow, 47. She was a 25-year veteran of the department who had spent the last year working in the civil unit.
The shooting occurred at the Bermuda Club, a gated community in Vero Beach. Sheriff Eric Flowers told reporters that Sweeting-Mashkow, accompanied by other deputies and a locksmith, was at the residence to evict Michael Halberstam, the son of the homeowner.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the situation escalated the moment the group entered the home. Halberstam allegedly grabbed a firearm and began “indiscriminately firing at our deputies on scene.”
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow, who was killed in the line of duty on November 21st, 2025, while faithfully serving our community,” the Sheriff’s Office stated Friday afternoon.
The gunfire left a chaotic scene. Aside from Sweeting-Mashkow, another deputy took a bullet to the shoulder and is currently recovering. The locksmith, whose name has not been released, was rushed into surgery and remains in critical condition.
Deputies returned fire, striking Halberstam. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Sheriff Flowers described the heartbreak of losing a deputy just “six days before Thanksgiving.” He noted that Sweeting-Mashkow had served the agency for exactly 25 years and 16 days, rising from a dispatcher to a patrol deputy before moving to the legal process unit in 2023.
“Her loss is felt deeply by every member of our agency, as well as by the community she served with pride,” the department said.
The shooting marks only the second line-of-duty death in the 100-year history of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
While Halberstam had a history of minor offenses—including a 2006 narcotics charge and a misdemeanor assault charge in Virginia from 2015—Flowers indicated he was not on the department’s radar for this level of violence. Deputies had responded to the home seven times this month, primarily due to calls from Halberstam’s mother, which eventually led to the eviction order.
“The regular duties that our deputies bravely do every day in and out, and today Deputy Terri Sweeting-Mashkow, 25 years of service, 47 years old, gave her life for this community,” Flowers said.
Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier had previously stated that state law enforcement agencies are monitoring the situation and providing resources to the local community.
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