Man Barricades Himself With Dead Dogs In Southwest Miami-Dade

MIAMI, FL — What began as a welfare check on a 60-year-old man on Friday evolved into an hours-long standoff with Miami-Dade police. By the time it was over, Johnnie Bowling was placed under arrest for animal cruelty. Police said they discovered two dead dogs in Bowling's southwest Miami-Dade home after he surrendered.

The standoff began around 11:30 a.m. in the 11900 block of SW 215 Street.

"They were met at the front door by Johnnie Bowling, who threatened to kill officers if they attempted to enter his residence," explained Detective Lee Cowart of the Miami-Dade Police Department. "The officers quickly established a perimeter and evacuated residents in surrounding homes as a precautionary measure."

Hostage negotiators and the department's Special Response Team were called to the standoff, which ended peacefully before 5 p.m.

"The officers that originally went to Mr. Bowling's residence reported to detectives they observed what appeared to be a dead dog inside the front door of the residence and smelled a foul odor coming from inside the house," said Cowart.

Cowart did not say whether Bowling killed the dogs or how they died.

Photo by Paul Scicchitano