Miami Beach Police Officer's Gun Goes Off

Miami Beach Police say an officer's gun was fired after the officer responded to a call late Monday night.

The officer was responding to a call of a man beating up a woman in front of the Green View Hotel on Washington Avenue around 11:20 p.m. when the incident happened, police said.

Police said while the officer was at the scene, another man lunged at the officer, causing the gun to go off.

"The police jumped out of the car and the police officer shot the gun," one witness said.

That witness said she later spoke with the officer, who reportedly told her she had accidentally shot the gun.

"But how you accidentally shoot a gun is what I don't understand," the witness said.

Another guest at the hotel said he heard everything from his room.

"We heard screaming from two or three people, then a big shot came," said Alex Wilhelm, who is visiting from Austria. "It was very scary."

Washington Avenue was shut down in both directions just outside the hotel while police investigated the incident.

No one was injured in the shooting.

"We wound up unarresting the three people in custody," said Bobby Hernandez of Miami Beach Police. "They were being detained, questioned, no crime was committed. All were let go. The officer is suspended for 72 hours, which is standard."

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