A man who got into a police cruiser and tried to run down officers was shot and killed by an officer in the Hammocks in southwest Miami-Dade late Tuesday, police said.
The incident happened shortly before midnight when the officers responded to a call of a suspicious person looking into a vehicle in the area of 77th Street and Southwest 162nd Avenue, Miami-Dade Police said.
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When officers arrived, they found the man, who was later identified as Juan Luis Rodriguez, who gave them false information and refused to give a reasonable explanation for his conduct or presence in the area, police said.
The officers tried to handcuff the man and a violent struggle ensued. The suspect was able to break free and got into the police cruiser, and tried to use the car as a weapon to run the officers down, police said.
One of the officers opened fire, killing the man, who hasn't been identified.
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"This is a unique situation, we don't often see this," Miami-Dade Police spokesman Det. Roy Rutland said. "Clearly this demonstrates how badly this man was trying to get away."
Police are nvestigating the incident.
"I thought I heard gunshots. I just went to go check and I saw a lot of cops outside. It's a little scary," said Rudy Arana. "It's a very peaceful community. You barely hear about burglaries here, so it's scary to hear things like this."
Authorities said Rodriguez had an open probation warrant issued in 2008 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and he had an extensive criminal history.
