NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) — A driver is recovering in the hospital after he was shot by a Miami-Dade Police officer, Monday, when he reportedly did not cooperate with "lawful commands" during a traffic stop.
According to officials, police in an unmarked car and in plainclothes were conducting a traffic stop when they noticed the driver was engaging in what they called suspicious activity near Northwest 25th Avenue and 90th Street. "One, when you have someone who is non-compliant, right away, your antenna goes up," said John Rivera, President of the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association. "Two, the vehicle is moving and the the vehicle is a weapon. A lot of people don’t believe that, but the vehicle is a weapon."
"This is another one of those cases where we call routine, but they’re never routine," Rivera added.
Officials said the car was moving slowly, but the driver refused to come to a full stop. "When they approached the vehicle, they made lawful commands for the vehicle to please stop and lower their windows and continue on with the traffic stop," said Miami-Dade Police Detective Jennifer Capote. "The vehicle refused to stop, the driver began making abrupt movements inside the vehicle as if he was reaching for something."
Police said that’s when they were forced to fire.
"I heard two or three gunshots," said a witness. "Next thing I see, is the police cars coming."
The driver has been identified as 44-year-old Francisco Perez Trejo.
Rivera said that the detective who shot Trejo has been on the job for nine years and was also with a sergeant at the time of the shooting. Rivera also said the fact that the officers were in plain clothing and unmarked cars is not an issue because they identified themselves. "Sometimes people use that as an excuse, but I think in this case — and the evidence will bear out — that they properly identified themselves, and I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem," he said.
Trejo was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where he is listed in serious, but stable condition. The detective involved was also injured by a moving car during the traffic stop but was treated on the scene and released.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now taking over the investigation.