MIAMI – Witnesses called 911 to report that a man was firing a weapon up into the air on Friday night in Miami and a police officer who responded shot him, police said.
Miami Police Chief Manny Morales responded to the scene of the shooting and said there was an exchange of gunfire and the man’s condition was critical.
The police-involved shooting was shortly after 8 p.m., near Miami Fire Station 13, at 990 NE 79 St., in Miami’s Upper East Side area, west of the 79 Street West Drawbridge.
The man was armed with an assault rifle and the police officer shot him in the torso, according to Officer Michael Vega, a spokesman for the Miami Police Department.
Miami Fire Rescue personnel took the man injured to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Police officers were not injured.
Morales said the man’s rifle was still at the scene about an hour after the shooting that remained under investigation. A witness said there were about a dozen shots fired.
“And then 20 seconds later, I heard another six or seven gunshots, and about 20 seconds later, another round,” said neighbor Greg Johnson. “So there were all together, it was extremely loud and just concerning.”
Detectives were asking anyone with information about the case to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
“I’m sorry the guy got, you know...I guess they had to do what they had to do,” Johnson said. “I’m so glad that nobody else got hurt.”
Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Wilson Louis contributed to this report.
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