AVENTURA, FLA. (WSVN) - - An Aventura Police officer opened fire on an armed man who came out of the apartment where he had barricaded himself, sending the gunman to the hospital.
Aventura Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the shooting at Camden Apartments along the 3100 block of Northeast 190th Street, just after 4 p.m., Sunday.
“The Aventura Police Department was called to this location in regards to an individual who was in crisis,” said Aventura Police Maj. Mike Bentolila.
When officers arrived, they discovered the subject had barricaded himself inside his apartment.
Police said officers tried to persuade the man to come out. Some time later, he emerged from the unit armed with a gun.
“We were in the process of securing the area and going to start a negotiation with the individual, at which point he came out of his apartment and brandished a weapon toward the officers,” said Bentolila.
Officials said at least one of the officers felt threatened and discharged his weapon, striking the man in the leg.
Doug Rumsey, a resident at the complex, said he heard the gunshots.
“We were on my balcony, and we just heard these sounds, and it was just kind of startling,” he said.
Paramedics transported the gunman to Aventura Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.
Rumsey said such a situation is unheard of in this neighborhood.
“This doesn’t happen, this type of thing, on Aventura,” he said. “Other places, maybe, but here it’s great people.”
The subject did not fire his gun. No police officers were hurt.
“Our officers are all trained in crisis intervention, and we were in the process of trying to go through those steps,” said Bentolila. “Unfortunately, this individual escalated to the point where the officers felt that they had to respond in kind.”
The officer who opened fire has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard protocol in situations like this.
Police continue to investigate.
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