Man Killed In Police Involved Shooting In W Kendall
WEST KENDALL (CBSMiami) - Miami-Dade Police say they were forced to shoot and kill a man who tried to run over officers with a police cruiser.
"This is a unique situation. We don't often see this," said Miami-Dade Police Detective Roy Rutland. "This clearly demonstrates how badly the man was trying to get away."
Neighbors told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that they were stunned by the shots that were fired just before midnight in the area of Southwest 162nd Avenue and 80th Street as police say they were forced to open fire on the unidentified man.
"When the shots were fired, we locked our doors," said neighbor Alex Arana.
"Basically, I heard a popping sound," said neighbor Cristian Diaz. "It sounded like firecrackers. I though it was that. But then we found out it was much worse."
Rutland said police responded to a report of suspicious activity and a man looking into a vehicle.
A woman who did not want to be identified told CBS4's Marybel Rodriguez that she called police after seeing the man.
"I happened to see a guy peering into a car," she said. "I thought it was suspicious activity so I kept an eye on him. I saw him when I was driving around my neighborhood. As I drove around I saw him duck down and it looked suspicious."
"I saw him duck down in a fetal position and I said, he is definitely suspicious and doing something wrong. So I called police."
When police arrived, they found a man near a bicycle.
"When they approached him and began to investigate and ask him who he was and what he was doing, they realized he was not giving them the right information. He was lying
to them."
Police tried to handcuff the man but a struggle ensued.
"At some point, the man broke free," said Rutland. "He actually entered the officer's vehicle and according to the officer's statement and evidence on the scene that
supports that, it appears he tried to run the officer over. Shots were fired and the subject died on the scene."
"It hit so close to home," said the woman who called police. "It was in the same neighborhood. It happened five to ten minutes after I made that call. Yes I believe it was him."
"I really didn't think this was someone who belonged in this area," she said. "He was wearing jogging clothes. I do feel I did the right thing."
"I would tell other people to do the right thing," she said. "If you see someone in your neighborhood who looks suspicious, report it. This could have been someone who was
stealing someone's property or even worse, someone else's life could have been taken."
"This is my neighborhood," she said. "I live here. And more often than not, if things are going on involving my things, I would want someone to call police."
Miami-Dade Police Detective Javier Baez told D'Oench that the officer who was forced to fire his weapon is on administrative duty for three days, which is standard protocol after such incidents.
