An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy died this morning after the unit’s Special Response Team entered a home on Plymouth Avenue in Fort Walton Beach. The subject inside the house, who had threatened to shoot law enforcement officers, died at the scene.

Officers had been dealing with the subject since late Monday afternoon after serving an ex-parte order, a court order for involuntary examination under the Baker Act. The man was taken to the Bridgeway Center, but later transported to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.

He left the hospital but was picked up again by law enforcement. He kicked out the window of a patrol car. Deputies took him back to the hospital but he escaped again.

Early Tuesday morning, deputies learned from a citizen that the subject had apparently barricaded himself in the Plymouth Avenue home with a shotgun. The Special Response Team and Crisis Negotiation Unit attempted to talk him out around 6 a.m.

After getting no response, the unit entered the house. The subject shot a deputy who later was pronounced dead at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. Deputies returned fire and the subject died at the scene.

OCSO OFFICER KILLED IN LINE-OF- DUTY IDENTITY RELEASED

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is grieving the loss of a deputy who was killed early Tuesday morning in the line-of-duty. 33-year old Deputy Anthony “Tony” Forgione of Niceville was hired on July 17, 2005 and is a former Fort Walton Beach Police Officer. He is survived by a wife and two young daughters.

Sheriff Charlie Morris says “We are all simply devastated and are rallying around each other to cope with this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families. And I want to express my gratitude to the community for all their offers of support for the Forgione family and this agency.”

Deputy Forgione was shot and killed at 331 Plymouth Avenue in Fort Walton Beach around by a subject inside the home. Forgione entered the house along with other members of the Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team. The subject inside, 47-year old Mark Reed Rohlman of Navarre, was shot by officers and died at the scene.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be conducting an investigation.

Sheriff Charlie Morris will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. at the Shalimar Administration Building.