SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating a police-involved shooting connected to an incident involving Miami-Dade Police officers in Southwest Miami-Dade.
The incident unfolded in the area of Southwest 182nd Avenue and 192nd Street, Wednesday afternoon.
7Skyforce hovered above the scene where a yellow tarp covered a body.
According to officials with MDPD, a 911 call was made by an individual reporting a dispute at a property where they suspected their stolen vehicle was located. The caller told police that as the confrontation escalated, they fled the scene and began looking for police.
“It was an individual who had allegedly had his car stolen, and he was trying to locate his vehicle, and that’s what led him into this area,” said MDPD Detective Alvaro Zabaleta.
Detectives from the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Illegal Dumping Unit, who happened to be in the area, responded to the location.
“They became aggressive with him, and that’s when they fled, and he called the police,” said Zabaleta.
Upon identifying a black sedan matching the caller’s description, detectives activated their emergency equipment. A confrontation unfolded as they attempted to make contact with the occupants, resulting in shots being fired.
“That’s when the subject armed himself with a firearm, produced the firearm, and that’s when shots were fired,” said Zabaleta. “The subject was struck; he was pronounced deceased on the scene.”
Friends of the deceased described him as a 59-year-old family man, expressing shock at the tragic news. They believed the black Toyota belonged to him and mentioned he was driving with his son as the passenger.
None of the detectives involved sustained injuries. However, one of the officer’s trucks was struck with a barrage of bullets near the driver’s side seat. The recovered firearm is now part of the ongoing investigation.
“We see what we saw in that windshield. It’s an eye opener and an awakening that these are the dangers that law enforcement, not only here, but across the world face,” said Zabaleta.
Authorities canvassed the area and spoke to a woman outside of a police car. Later, that same woman was seen with other women and children from a nearby home.
While friends provided information, police have not confirmed any details, emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing.
Standard protocol led to FDLE taking charge of the investigation into this officer-involved shooting.
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