Miami Beach Police identify officer involved in fatal shooting of woman

Cariann Hithon, 22, shot after driving into crowd, striking police officer

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Miami Beach Police identified the officer who fatally shot a woman over the weekend as Michael Angulo.

Authorities said Angulo shot Cariann Denise Hithon, 22, after she drove into a crowd of people, hitting another officer.

Police said Hithon got into a black BMW Sunday night that was parked in the 1400 block of Ocean Drive and sped south, passing cars in the oncoming lane and striking two vehicles at the intersection of 12th Street and Ocean Drive.

Police said Hithon continued heading west on 12th Street, ran a red light at Collins Avenue and struck a third vehicle. 

"She never, never hit her brakes from what I can see and never evaded us. She came right, straight into us," said John Butchko, who was driving his Mercedes when it was struck. 

Police said witnesses and officers began to gather at the intersection to try to help the victims, and the woman drove into the crowd, hitting Officer David Cajuso with her car. 

Police said Angulo fired at Hithon, who was struck by at least one round.

Her passenger, Ryan Lucas, 22, was not injured.

Officers performed CPR on Hithon, but she died at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Butchko, who is a retired police detective, said Hithon showed no regard for anyone's life. 

"She didn't care about anybody else's life. She didn't care about our lives, she didn't care about the officer's life -- she didn't care," Butchko said. 

Angulo was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting, which is standard protocol.

The officer was hired by the Police Department in November 2012.

Authorities said Cajuso lost consciousness after being struck by the BMW, but was treated at an area hospital and is now recovering at home. 

The Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating the shooting and the Miami Beach Police Department is investigating the crashes.
 


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Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

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