Police Kill Man Who Rammed Truck Into Patrol Car
NW MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) – Miami-Dade police were forced to shoot the driver of a Toyota Tundra pick up truck after he reportedly rammed a patrol car.
Daniel Martinez said he saw the shooting.
"I seen a whole bunch a cops coming over there and they shot him in the head about 4 times," said Martinez.
Police say it all started at Northwest 37th Avenue and 17th Street when the driver of the pick-up truck hit a Kia and took off. Police pulled the pickup truck driver over a few blocks away for running a stop sign. When the driver of the Kia showed up and told the officer about the hit-and-run, the truck's driver sped away.
"He was driving the wrong way against traffic and striking different objects on the street, and at some point the subject actually reverses his vehicle and literally crashes into our officer's vehicle that was occupied. Thankfully that officer's in good condition now," said Miami-Dade Police spokesperson Detective Roy Rutland.
The truck then sped off again before police caught up to him about three miles away at NW 32nd Avenue and 47th Street. Then came the shots.
"Officers engaged the subject, there was a confrontation, shots were fired and that subject is now deceased inside the vehicle," said Det. Rutland.
Investigators are not releasing details on that confrontation, but they made no mention of the driver having a gun.
L.C. Cochran, who lives in the area said the man's weapon was his 4000 pound pickup truck and he believes police did the right thing.
"They had no choice at all. He had to be stopped, he was dangerous," said Cochran.
Roslyn Tompkins just can't believe so many shots were fired so close to home.
"I'm glad I wasn't inside there when that bullet was flying wherever it went," she said.
One officer got cut his hand during the confrontation but is expected to be fine.
At this point police are not identifying the man they killed or the officers who fired on him.
