MIAMI LAKES, FLA. (WSVN) - Miami-Dade Police have detained four men who allegedly sent police on a chase near an East Hialeah school zone, which ended in a shooting involving police and caused two schools to go on lockdown, Tuesday morning.
Hialeah Police set up a perimeter that has since been taken down in the area of Northwest 154th Street and 87th Avenue.
Two schools nearby, Barbara Goleman Senior High School & Bob Graham Education Center were in a “code yellow,” which is a modified lockdown. At around 11 a.m., the lockdowns were lifted, according to the school board.
According to officials, police saw a suspicious vehicle that seemed to be prowling an East Hialeah neighborhood. A chase ensued, ending in Miami Lakes, where one suspect got out of the car and an officer shot him.
“The suspect stopped and bailed out of the vehicle,” explained Hialeah Police Detective Carl Zogby. “An officer from Hialeah was forced to fire upon one of the suspects.”
The injured suspect is said to be 18 years old. He was transported to a hospital and later discharged. He is now being questioned by police.
Police said a 16 and 17-year-old were also inside the vehicle and were soon taken into custody. However, a fourth suspect got away.
But by 11 a.m., the fourth suspect was detained and transported to Hialeah Police for questioning.
“We do have a suspect at large. We do not know if he’s armed at this point,” said Zogby, “so it is a dangerous situation. We’ve got dozens and dozens of officers out here, and we have K-9.”
A helicopter circled the neighborhood overhead to assist in the search for this fourth suspect.
“This is a dangerous subject,” said Zogby. “He was out there trying to commit armed robberies. Now, we’ve kind of got him cornered, so we have to be patient. We have to catch him.”
Miami Lakes resident Stephanie Sanchez, who lives nearby, told 7News she was sleeping when she heard the commotion outside her home.
“It’s 5 o’clock in the morning, we heard helicopters, but that’s about it,” said Sanchez. “And then, behind the house, we saw cops.”
Investigators said the vehicle the suspects were in, a Chevy Malibu, was stolen on Jan. 3. At least two guns were found inside the car.
“I have a son, and he’s pretty young,” said Sanchez. “It’s pretty scary that something like this is happening in this neighborhood.”
Police said the four suspects were also likely involved in an armed robbery that took place early Tuesday morning.
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