Authorities ID Man, Woman Killed in Police-Involved Shooting

Yolanda Thomas, 34, and Xavier Tyrell Johnson, 31, were the people who died as a result of Friday's shooting, police said

Miami-Dade police on Saturday released the names of the two people shot and killed by officers on Friday.

Yolanda Thomas, 34, and Xavier Tyrell Johnson, 31, were shot when the pair's car was used as a weapon against police officers, said Detective Alvaro Zabaleta, spokesman for Miami-Dade police.

The pair had allegedly driven off after a theft at a pharmacy and, while attempting to flee from officers, Thomas lost control of the vehicle she was driving, police said. It caused the car to hit a barricade post and come to a rest, police said.

Thomas then “attempted to strike the officers with the vehicle as they approached on foot,” Zabaleta said. “The officers discharged their firearms, striking both the driver and passenger.” 

Thomas died at the scene. Johnson, her passenger, was taken to a hospital, where he died Friday night, police said. No officers were injured in the incident.

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The names of officers involved – one is a five-year veteran, the other is a six-year veteran -- weren’t released Saturday.

Friday’s events began when a theft was reported at CVS pharmacy at 7199 SW 117th Ave., Zabaleta said. Officers arrived in time to be shown the suspects’ car by pharmacy staff as the car was being driven away from the store, police said.

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A police pursuit ensued, but it didn’t last long, police said. The suspects’ car hit a pole in the area of Southwest 56th Street and Southwest 117th Avenue, police said. Then the shooting occurred, police said.

As is procedure, the shooting remains under investigation by Miami-Dade Police’s Homicide Bureau, police said.

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