MIAMI (WSVN) - Two Doral Police officers continue to recover one day after they were injured when, authorities said, a driver opened fire near Miami-Dade Police headquarters.
The Doral Police Department on Saturday provided the names of the officers involved in Friday morning’s incident.
Investigators said 31-year-old Johnny Beautelus was shot in the arm, leg and chest, and 21-year-old Daniel Vilarchao was grazed in the face.
Police said the chaotic series of events started with a traffic stop near Northwest 25th Street and 92nd Avenue.
Detectives said the driver of a BMW lost control and swerved down the roadway.
Doral Police spokesperson Rey Valdes said Beautelus and Vilarchao witnessed the tail end of the incident.
“They came upon a traffic accident where a vehicle struck a tree, spun out of control,” he said.
The motorist, later identified as 25-year-old Yordany Rodriguez Perez, hopped out of the car and unloaded a battery of bullets at responding officers.
Investigators said the suspect recklessly discharged his firearms while people ducked behind cars.
“It’s just a stark reminder of the danger that our officers face,” said Doral Police spokesperson Rey Valdes.
Police said officers at the scene returned fire and struck Rodriguez Perez. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said three other people in total were hit. In addition to Beautelus and Vilarchao, a man sitting in traffic was shot in the leg.
Sirens blared as an army of police and medics rushed Beautelus to Ryder Trauma Center with bullets lodged in his body. Vilarchao was transported to Kendall Regional Medical Center.
The department said Vilarchao remains there recovering from surgery to his face.
Beautelus, a six-year veteran, is temporarily at home with his family.
Valdes said a bulletproof vest potentially saved Beautelus from life-ending injuries. He is scheduled to undergo surgery in the coming days.
Sunday evening, 7News cameras captured yellow crime scene tape still at the scene of the shooting.
Police, family and the Doral community are now trying to understand what could have turned a man with no previous record into a cold-blooded shooter.
“You have that moment of trepidation until you get all the facts, until you figure out exactly what’s going on, so I will say it was touch and go for me,” said Valdes.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.