Fallen Miami Police Officer's Girlfriend Arrested For Murder
OPA-LOCKA (CBSMiami) - The girlfriend of Miami Police Officer Carl Patrick, found dead in his home earlier this month as he prepared to leave for work, has been arrested for killing him, three weeks after the shooting.
"Tiniko Thompson has been charged with second degree murder and has been taken into custody," Pembroke Pines Police Chief Dan Giustino announced at an evening news conference.
Pembroke Pines Police did not release many new details about the murder but they said the evidence collected at Patrick's home shows that Thompson was responsible for Patrick's death.
Authorities were outside Thompson's mother's home just before 7 PM Wednesday evening.
Neighbors watched as Thompson walked out of her mothers Opa-locka home with plans to turn herself in to authorities after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
"She did a big smile when she came outta her house," said neighbor Keisha Smith.
CBS4's Gaby Fleischman asked Thompson, while walking to her attorney Rod Vereen's car, if she shot him, to which she had no response.
Thompson got into her attorney's car and drove away.
Moments later, police pulled over the black Mercedes and Thompson was taken into custody.
"They handcuffed her and put her in the back seat and took her to jail," said Keisha Smith.
Neighbors have seen the suspected killer come and go from the home.
"She deserved it, it's time for her to go and everything. It took a long time," said Smith.
"I'm quite sure they wanted to get everything, make sure whatever their charging her for make sure it's correct," said neighbor Mattie Garbin.
Since Patrick's death, CBS 4 News has been uncovering specific details about the investigation. CBS 4 reported that police were looking intently at whether there was gunpowder residue on Carl Patrick's hands, showing that he fired his gun. We've learned that there was no residue on his hands and that the trajectory of the bullet into Patrick's arm and chest makes it impossible for Patrick to have shot himself.
"At this time the medical examiner has ruled this a homicide," said Captain Al Xiques.
CBS 4 News has also learned that Patrick was wrapped in a comforter while still alive and was still alive for several hours after the shooting.
A source also told CBS 4 News that Thompson tried to clean up the crime scene, took his cell phone so he couldn't call for help and even left a note behind saying the shooting was accidental. Police would not address any of that information on Wednesday night.
"At this time I can't get into those specific details," Xiques said.
After the murder, Thompson's attorney alleged that Patrick hit her, causing cuts and bruises and that she and Patrick struggled over a gun and that Patrick shot himself. Thompson apparently failed to report the shooting for two days. Surveillance video from a Miami storage unit from the day after the shooting showed Thompson dropping off baby items.
READ: Video Shows Girlfriend Of Fallen Officer Shortly After Shooting
Her lawyer wouldn't comment on the arrest but said Thompson will have her day in court.
READ: Girlfriend Of Slain Officer Meets With Attorney, Won't Speak To Police
"I'm always confident that the justice system will treat everyone fairly," attorney Rod Vereen said.
After Thompson walked from her house and left in her lawyer's car that car stopped down the road and Thompson was cuffed and placed into an officer's car. It was unusual to say the least. Pembroke Pines Police said the arrest was carried out after discussions with Thompson's attorney.
"Investigators on the scene were working collaboratively with her attorney in order to affect that arrest in the most peaceful manner possible given all the circumstances and the manner in which it occurred we felt was the bast way to place her into custody," Xiques said.
Sgt. Javier Ortiz, President of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police questioned how the arrest occurred and sent a news release to the media asking, "Why Was a Cop Killer Given White Glove Treatment."
"The question we have is who made the decision to allow a cop killer to call the shots on how they were going to be taken into custody?" Sgt. Javier Ortiz wrote in a statement from the Miami Fraternal Order of Police. "Who allowed a wanted cop killer to walk freely in the presence of the public (with no clue if she was armed) and an army of police officers to enter an air conditioned Mercedes Benz with knowledge that she had an active warrant for 2nd degree murder? This is the same cop killer that allowed Officer Carl Patrick to lay shot and struggling for hours to breathe before his life was unjustly taken away from him."
Tiniko Thompson will wake up in the Broward County Jail on Thursday and she will have a hearing in front of a judge where the allegations will be read to her.
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