Police Shooting Leaves 1 Wounded In Opa-Locka

OPA-LOCKA, FL — An eight-year Miami-Dade police veteran opened fire on a man who allegedly attempted to remove the license plate from a car that had been involved in an earlier police chase. Police did not immediately say why the officer fired on Wednesday afternoon but they found a screwdriver at the scene. The victim was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

The incident occurred around 1:15 p.m. outside an apartment complex at NW 132nd Street and 33 Avenue. The 37-year-old officer officer was not injured.

"The involved officer's statement to investigators is pending," Detective Lee Cowart of the Miami-Dade Police Department said late Wednesday night.

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Cowart said two other men were with the man who was shot. They were taken into custody after trying to leave the scene on foot.

The incident began with an apparent motor vehicle infraction.

"Robbery Intervention Detail officers attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic infraction," Cowart explained. "However, the vehicle did not stop and fled the immediate area."

Police lost the car during the chase and found it again outside the apartment complex at 13010 Alexandria Drive.

"The officers conducted a surveillance of the vehicle, and within minutes, three males approached the vehicle and attempted to remove the license plate," Cowart said. The officers approached and after a brief encounter with the three individuals, subject ... was shot by one of the officers."

As with all Miami-Dade police shootings, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation into the incident.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano