Video: Miami Gardens Police Chief Tackles Suspect In Store
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MIAMI GARDENS (CBSMiami) – Surveillance video shows the moment a fraud suspect was tackled to the ground at BrandsMart USA by Miami Gardens Police Chief Antonio Brooklen.
"The only thing that was on his mind was trying to get away and I wasn't going to let it happen," said Chief Brooklen.
Chief Brooklen says he visits local businesses regularly as part of a community initiative and he just so happened to be at BrandsMart on June 16th speaking with the manager.
"They raised him on the radio and said they had a possible fraud," said Chief Brooklen.
According to the police report, Alvaro Luis Miranda-Acosta, 26, was trying to purchase an Apple product worth nearly $2,500 with a credit card that had a different name.
That's when the cashier contacted the manager who then asked Chief Brooklen to look into it. The chief asked the suspect to step into the manager's office.
"I asked him if I could look in the wallet to see his identification. He says 'yes' and when I opened the wallet, there was another credit card with a different name on it. That's when I knew something was wrong," said Chief Brooklen.
The chief says the suspect tried to run out and they started wrestling inside the manager's office. The suspect then managed to run out the door.
"In my mind I'm saying, 'I can't let him get away. Because if I let him get away, I'd never live it down with my troops,'" said Chief Brooklen. "When I got close enough, it was do or die and I just said, 'Jump. Just tackle him.'"
That's exactly what he did but the suspect was still not giving up.
"He still was trying to get up and get away and that's when the manager and a patron from BrandsMart grabbed him and held him till we were able to apprehend him," said Chief Brooklen.
Chief Brooklen said he hopes this serves as an example not just for his officers but for the citizens of Miami Gardens.
"You know what? The chief is doing what he's asking us to do. Hopefully we get the calls to help us close some of these incidents that occur in Miami Gardens," said Chief Brooklen.
The suspect faces a number of charges including grand theft and battery on an officer.
