PBA president sounds off after police car shot at outside Jewish learning center
NORTH MIAMI BEACH - The President of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association is speaking out after police say a patrol car was shot at while sitting outside the Kaballah Centre early Wednesday.
Steadman Stahl, the President of the South Florida PBA, told CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench, "It's incredible that we are living in a day and age when people shoot at police cars, especially with the hatred we are seeing around the country and the world right now in our back yard. I find it stunning that police cars are being shot. It is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime."
He said, "It is taking place in front of a place of worship and this shouldn't be happening in this country, particularly this community."
It happened in the parking lot of the Kaballah Centre on N.E. 163rd St. at 27th Ave. just before 2 in the morning. The car had a bullet hole in its flattened tire.
North Miami Beach say the shooter took off and crashed into another vehicle minutes away at N.W. 1st Ave. and 167th St.
Surveillance footage of the incident. pic.twitter.com/9SzXA0sB3e
— North Miami Beach PD (@myNMBPolice) May 8, 2024
Police said the shooter was later taken into custody. He was identified as Evan Polinski, 36, who faced a misdemeanor DUI charge back in 2017.
It's not clear why this happened but a spokesman for the Kaballah Centre said he believed the Centre was not the target of the attack.
Stahl said, "To the bad guys who are shooting at police cars and shooting at people, we are coming for you. And we will get you. We need to eat to the bottom of why this happened and make sure it doesn't happen again and get to the root of what's causing this discontent among people."
Kaballah Centre members said since Hamas attacked Israel last October 7th, they've increased their security and regularly have patrol cars outside.
North Miami Beach Police said they are not commenting on camera right now because of the ongoing investigation.
The Kaballah Centre said it had surveillance tape it was sharing with police but is not releasing it right now to the media.
Despite the crime scene at the Centre, Mike Weiss and dozens of other members showed up for morning prayers.
Weiss said, "It's terrible, I mean you know with what is going on around the world, it is tough to stomach. But it's going to happen and you can't stop it from happening. All we can do is continue what we do and each of us trying to make a difference in the world and we start within. We just have to keep putting out better and more energy."
He said, "I love the fire department and the police department and anyone that's in the armed forces because who wakes up and puts their life every day in potential danger and risks the lives of their family."
Police say the officer in this case is OK.
Police said one of the drivers of the crash matched the description of the subject who fled the initial shooting at a high rate of speed.
They said they are investigating the link between the crash and the shooting. One individual from the crash scene was taken to the hospital.
The injured crash victim's identity is not known.