Ex-girlfriend charged in shooting of Miami-Dade police officer
MIAMI - A veteran Miami-Dade police officer was rushed to the hospital after being shot in Hialeah. He is now out of surgery and his ex-girlfriend, Yessenia Sanchez, has been charged in the shooting.
The officer, who was off duty, was shot in what police called a domestic related incident at 1270 West 79th Street. He was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition. He was then rushed into surgery.
Sgt. Jose Torres of the Hialeah Police Department said "The officer is in extremely critical condition. This is very sad. This is a very sad morning. This is a domestic violence incident. It is isolated and again the shooter is in custody." He said there was no word on possible charges in this case. He said police should have an update by late Friday night or Saturday.
A neighbor who identified herself as Judy said "It is sad. It hurts when it is an officer and it really hurts bad because the police are there to protect us."
Steadman Stahl, the President of the South Florida PBA, told CBS4 News, "Domestic violence is a tragedy that affects millions of Americans across this country right now and we are no exception."
"We are all praying for him right now. We ask that the community give thoughts for our officer and his family," said Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez.
"We are all praying as a community and we're hopeful that this will come out well. So we ask the whole community to join us in prayers and hope," said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
The woman who shot the officer has been identified as Yessenia Sanchez, who was arrested last year for domestic violence.
At the time, she was a Miami-Dade Schools Police officer and resigned in September 2021 in lieu of termination, according to the school district.
The officer's name has not been released. He has been with the department for 17 years.
Ramirez said when something like this happens, it affects everyone.
"It's devastating. It's devastating for the family, for my fellow officers, for the law enforcement community, and for the Miami-Dade community but one thing about all of us is that we are resilient and we stand together," said Ramirez.
Ramirez later told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that the officer is "currently out of surgery and has moved over to a room. His family is with him and our thoughts and prayers are with him. Everything is very delicate and sensitive right now, He is in critical condition, He is still with us. Let's ride that positivity and we ask that the community will come together with that positivity and that will help us get through it. It has been difficult but this is what we do. We move forward."
"The law enforcement community is an incredibly strong network of support. No matter what happens, no matter to whom it happens, the community comes together. The family knows, the biological family knows, that now they have a family, a very large family, that is here for them," said Levine Cava.
What led to the shooting is under investigation.