KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- An Osceola County deputy opened fire on a suspect during an undercover drug operation, in the middle of a busy tourist area in Kissimmee.

The shooting happened Wednesday night, at the intersection of US-192 and International Drive, in the Publix supermarket shopping center.

Investigators say the undercover deputy was making a drug deal with a man inside an SUV. When the deputy got out of the SUV, authorities say the suspect pulled a gun.

"The deputy fired at the subject because he did feel his life was being threatened," said Twis Lizasuain, a spokesperson for the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center, and his condition isn't known.

Deputies arrested two other suspects in connection with the drug deal.

The shopping center is in the middle of a busy tourist area, surrounded by shops and restaurants. Authorities say they were conducting the drug operation away from the public, so one one would be in harm's way.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is also investigating this deputy-involved shooting.