MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A Miami-Dade Police officer was struck by a bullet during a shooting in Miami Gardens on Monday morning. The incident occurred in the area of NW 152nd Street and 22nd Avenue, resulting in a heavy police presence and the establishment of a large perimeter. It remains unclear if the officer or the suspects were driving the red pickup truck seen at the scene.
According to authorities, the shooting transpired after a confrontation between two men escalated, culminating in the officer being grazed on the cheek by a bullet that had rebounded off his bullet-proof vest. After the incident, the suspects fled, but five individuals have since been detained. SWAT teams were observed conducting door-to-door searches in pursuit of the suspects.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing a single gunshot followed by numerous rapid-fire gunshots. Adriana Holt, one of the witnesses, shared her account: “I was raking my yard, and I just heard something like a firework… and the next thing I know, I heard the police.” The gun used by the suspects was marked on the ground as evidence with a yellow marker.
The injured officer was promptly transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where Director Stephanie Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed that he is expected to make a full recovery and be reunited with his family for Thanksgiving. The investigation is ongoing, and residents are advised to steer clear of the area of NW 154th Street and 19th Avenue.
As the SWAT teams continued to secure the scene, an officer was witnessed throwing a flash-bang into a nearby home. At the hospital, several fellow officers were seen offering support to their injured colleague. The officer involved in the incident has been a member of the force for seven years.