JUPITER, Fla. — Enranged and heavily intoxicated, Donald Liberman fired off a round inside his home Thursday night, police said.
“Did you hear that? That was for your head,” Liberman reportedly told a woman in a nearby bedroom, The Palm Beach Post reported.
He then loaded a magazine into the weapon and threatened to drive to a home in Hobe Sound to harm the woman’s adult child, according to a Jupiter police report made public Monday.
Liberman’s “irrational and dangerous” behavior developed into a standoff with police that lasted nearly 15-hours. It abruptly ended Friday afternoon with a police SWAT unit breaching his home on Hollywood Street in the Heights of Jupiter.
As a result, Liberman, 62, was arrested on multiple charges, including nine counts of attempted first-degree murder after authorities alleged he fired multiple shots at town police officers. Fortunately, no officers were injured.
According to the arrest report, the woman told police Liberman had become verbally abusive in recent days and was frequently intoxicated. After Liberman fired the initial shot, the woman was able to escape to safety.
The Palm Beach Post did not say what the woman’s relationship was to Liberman.
Town police responded at about 10:30 p.m. and attempted to negotiate Liberman’s surrender. However, he refused to exit the residence. Moreover, he told police during a telephone call that he owned multiple firearms and would “go out in a blaze of glory” and would not be handcuffed.
After several hours of negotiation, police decided to breach the residence, using an armored vehicle to approach. Liberman reportedly fired multiple rounds at the vehicle, which was occupied by five SWAT team members. Furthermore, the gunman fired at least one shot at officers who approached the rear of his home with while they deployed a distraction device — flashbang — emitting an explosive sound along with intense light.
After shooting at the officers, Liberman finally put his weapon down and surrendered, the report said.
The arrest report does not specify how many weapons police found in the home.
Court records show Liberman faced a misdemeanor charge for domestic battery in January, and a disorderly intoxication charge last July. Prosecutors declined to pursue the battery charge. The disorderly intoxication charge was dismissed after Liberman entered into a pretrial intervention agreement.
Liberman was booked at the Palm Beach County Jail where he remains in custody after a judge ordered he be held without bail. He is due to appear in court again June 4.
