62-year-old man gets 25-year prison sentence for deputy shooting during search warrant serving.
A court in Palm Beach County, Florida on Tuesday sentenced a 62-year-old man to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of a deputy who tried to serve a warrant at his home in the Indian Springs Country Club Community near Boynton Beach. Thomas Robarge pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm of a law enforcement officer. Circuit Court Judge Sarah Willis then sentenced him to 25 years for one count and 20 years for the other two to be served concurrently.
According to court documents, Robarge had been accused of vandalizing cars and causing damage to vehicles in the neighborhood on July 28, 2021. Around 1 p.m., deputies arrived at Robarge’s apartment to conduct a warrant on him for felony malicious mischief. Robarge’s brother Timothy answered the door and conveyed the message to Robarge. After entering the residence, several shots were fired from a darkened bedroom.
Robarge then barricaded himself in the bedroom. His brother Timothy exited the residence and surrendered without incident. During that time, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team arrived and deployed several rounds of gas into the house. Robarge then surrendered without a fight after about an hour.
The deputy attempting to serve the warrant was hospitalized and underwent surgery. The incident was captured on the body-worn camera that deputies were wearing at that time, according to officials. Robarge had previously worked at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, where he served as a deputy for eight years before retiring in 2005.
Reacting to the incident, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office praised the courage of the deputies involved in the incident. “We are proud of our deputies and the courage they exhibit on a daily basis,” said Sheriff’s spokesperson Teri Barbera. The Sheriff’s Office also thanked the community for their support during the incident and vowed to continue serving them in the future.
