MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A taxi cab driver was killed in a police-involved shooting in northwest Miami-Dade County that shut down the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 for several hours Monday morning.
Miami-Dade police said Junior Prosper, 31, was killed at the scene near I-95 southbound at Northwest 125th Street, causing traffic to be diverted.
Police said officers were called to a crash involving a taxi cab that ran into a road sign on the southbound entrance ramp to I-95 at Northwest 119th Street.
When police arrived, a chase ensued and the driver of the cab, later identified as Prosper, got into an altercation with an officer, police said.
"(The) 911 tapes are telling us that this individual started biting the officer to the point where the officer then had to discharge his firearm," Detective Daniel Ferrin said.
Ferrin said the suspect's bite was so severe that the officer's finger was nearly severed. He said the 9-year veteran was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center to be treated, but he is expected to be OK.
Traffic was backed up all the way into Broward County as a result of the closure.
Prosper's motive for fleeing from police is unclear as he had no outstanding warrants.
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