Veteran Detective, Police Union President Both Alarmed After Another Officer Shot At
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A Miami-Dade police lieutenant came under fire in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood.
Both a veteran police detective and the president of the South Florida PBA are alarmed by another incident in which a South Florida police officer has been shot at.
South Florida PBA President Steadman Stahl told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "This is something you would see in a Hollywood movie with bad guys hanging out of a car and shooting at an officer. We are going into the holiday season and the subjects with guns got away."
Stahl says such incidents have a chilling impact on recruitment.
According to police, someone made an anonymous call to 911 around 3:37 a.m. about four men with guns in a white car near NW 46 Street and 22 Avenue.
The lieutenant, who was in an unmarked car, spotted a vehicle matching the description of the car in the area of NW 48 Street and 22 Avenue. He began to follow it.
"Right when they got to 48th street, they just started shooting toward the officer's vehicle," said Miami-Dade Police Det. Argemis Colome.
The shooting happened near Brownsville Elementary School. The school was not open at the time.
"It was a normal car; it was an undercover car. No lights, no equipment was on and these guys pretty much shot indiscriminately at this vehicle, it could've been any of us," said Colome. "It could've been anybody, it could've been someone driving home that happened to be behind these subjects' vehicle and they got shot at. That's why these people are very dangerous."
Colome added, "These are brazen individuals. As you can see they fired multiple rounds at the vehicle without regard to anybody who might have been in the area. We all know how many stray bullets have claimed people in our community."
The officer was not injured, but his car was struck.
"He's probably the luckiest guy right now. His vehicle was struck. There were multiple rounds on the floor. Again we could've been preparing a funeral right now for this officer so we're very glad that we're not," said Colome.
Police said the lieutenant tried to continue following the car, but the front tires of his car were hit by bullets, so he didn't make it very far.
Detectives believe at least two of the suspects opened fire because investigators found different types of shell casings at the scene.
Police are searching for the four people who were in the white four-door sedan.
Anyone with information that can help should call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477). There is a reward of up to $1,000 and callers will remain anonymous.
Other officers have not been as fortunate.
Last month, Hollywood Police Officer Yandy Chirino was shot and killed by a suspected car burglar.
Also last month, two Doral officers were wounded when a suspect opened fire on them and was killed.
Stahl said these types of incidents are hurting the recruitment of new officers.
Stahl said, "You are going in to a profession where people are always second guessing you and always questioning you. These officers have just seconds to make a decision and they are going to be scrutinized by the public and social media and there is negativity out there. It's just not a profession that people want to go in to. There are other great professions out there. I tell people if they want to help people, become a fireman – join the fire department."
