Charges dropped after shootout, manhunt

MIAMI – Prosecutors dropped charges against a 30-year-old man filed in connection with a shootout, a house fire, and the ensuing manhunt in a Kendall neighborhood.

Police arrested Brian Howell on February 21 after an incident at 15415 SW 57th Street. A charge of possession of place to manufacture a controlled substance was dropped Monday.

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According to police, when officers approached a house as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation, three men -- Howell; Dell DiGiovanni, 50; and, Michael DiGiovanni, 27 -- opened fire and ran off. No officers were injured during the shooting.

During questioning, Howell told police he participated in a hydroponics growing operation inside the house.

Dell DiGiovanni committed suicide nearby. His son Michael wasn't found, but a charred body was found inside the house.


--Dell DiGiovanni (left) and his son Michael