A 27-year-old man suspected in an attempted murder case was shot and wounded by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies during a confrontation Aug. 20 in Lake Worth Beach, the sheriff’s office reported.
According to a sheriff’s statement, the deputy-involved shooting occurred at about 12:30 p.m. when Max R. Gilles produced a handgun as agents from a PBSO Tactical Unit attempted to make contact with him on the 700 block of South J. Street in Lake Worth Beach. The agency said Gilles was wanted in connection to a shooting the night of Aug. 13 that wounded a man in Lake Worth Beach.
During the encounter with deputies, Gilles sustained a graze wound to his hip and was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the sheriff’s office said. He was later released and was present for a court hearing on Aug. 21 at the Palm Beach County Jail, court records showed.
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During the hearing, Circuit Judge Donald Hafele assigned Gilles a public defender and ordered that he be held without bail. Gilles is facing one count of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault on a law-enforcement officer.
As a matter of policy, the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office does not comment on active cases.
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Authorities said Gilles is from Haiti and has been staying with a sponsor in Boynton Beach on a work visa. An arrest report detailing the Aug. 13 shooting incident said that a man was wounded by gunfire that night on the 900 block of South G Street.
Investigators said surveillance video showed Gilles and another man running away from the shooting scene. Surveillance footage also showed Gilles standing in the middle of an alley and having a conversation with someone. Seconds later, he raised his right hand and discharged a weapon, the sheriff’s office said.
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.
On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at approximately 12:28 p.m., the PBSO Tactical Unit was conducting an investigation in the 700 block of S. J Street, within the City of Lake Worth Beach. During the course of the investigation, agents came into contact with a person of interest (adult male) in an attempted murder investigation. As agents attempted to make contact, the individual produced a handgun. Deputies discharged their agency-issued firearms. The person of interest sustained a graze wound to the hip. Immediate medical attention was rendered on scene, and the male was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division responded and have assumed the investigation. More information will be released when it becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Attempted murder suspect shot, wounded in encounter with PBSO deputies