MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A man has died after he threatened two people inside a store along busy Lincoln Road while armed with a knife, forcing officers to open fire, police said.
According to Miami Beach Police, they received a disturbance call along the 900 block of Lincoln Road of an armed male subject, Thursday afternoon.
Once police arrived, investigators said, an officer was forced to fire, just after 5:30 p.m. The officer has been identified as Miami Beach Officer Corey Jackson.
Witnesses said they heard four to five gunshots from inside the Victoria’s Secret after officers arrived.
Sources told 7News two people were being held hostage, and one of them was a young woman who lives out of the country
Police evacuated several stores on Lincoln Road.
Shanell Santiago, who works at SEE Eyewear, said he heard gunshots a few doors down from his store.
“Bam, bam, bam!’ Knocks on my door, ‘Let’s go, Let’s go, get out, get out, let’s run,'” he said. “‘Close the doors, close everything, get out of the shop.'”
Santiago Herrera, another witness, said he also heard the gunfire.
“All I hear is ‘pa, pa, pa,'” he said.
Herrera said he evacuated a restaurant as the incident occurred.
“All of the people started running here, and when I go back, when I go out, the police officers were sending all of the people back,” he said.
Cellphone video captured the subject being put in the back of an ambulance by Miami Beach Fire Rescue crews.
The subject was transported to Ryder Trauma Center where he succumbed to his injuries
Police have blocked off an entire area near Victoria’s Secret as they continue to investigate.
“And the cop was the one who actually initiated the shots, which is great. Obviously why we have law enforcement to protect us and serve,” said Santiago.
Sources said the two people who were held hostage were not injured.
The identity of the suspect is said to be very young but has not been disclosed.
Because this is an officer-involved shooting, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating this case.
Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.