Naked attacker on Miami highway was chewing man's face, says witness

(CBS/AP) MIAMI - A witness says a naked man chewing on the face of another naked man on a Miami highway ramp kept eating and growled at a police officer who tried to stop him.

Larry Vega tells WSVN-TV in Miami that he was riding his bicycle Saturday afternoon off the MacArthur Causeway into downtown Miami when he saw the savage attack on the bridge's off-ramp. The causeway connects downtown Miami with Miami Beach.

"The guy was, like, tearing him to pieces with his mouth, so I told him, 'Get off!'" Vega said. "The guy just kept eating the other guy away, like, ripping his skin."

Vega flagged down a Miami police officer, who he said repeatedly ordered the attacker to get off the victim. The attacker just picked his head up and growled at the officer, Vega said.

Armando Aguilar, who heads the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he has spoken with the officer who responded, CBS Miami reports. Aguilar said the officer saw what the man was doing, and ordered him to stop. He said the man growled at the officer, and continued chewing the victim's face

The officer then used his service weapon and shot the man, Aguilar said, but the gunshot had no effect.

The officer then fired again, killing the attacker.

Miami police have released few details about the attack, other than confirming that there had been a fatal officer-involved shooting.

Detective William Moreno said Sunday that neither man's identity had been determined.

The victim was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. A spokeswoman said Monday that the hospital would not be releasing any information about him.

A surveillance video camera from The Miami Herald building nearby captured images of the men's naked legs lying side by side after the shooting.

Vega said the victim appeared gravely injured.

"It was just a blob of blood," Vega said. "You couldn't really see, it was just blood all over the place."