Miami

FDLE Investigating Fatal Police-Involved Shooting in Miami-Dade

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating a police-involved shooting in Miami-Dade that ended with a 22-year-old man dead.

Tevon Barkley was shot and killed by officers following a confrontation Wednesday night in the 800 block of Northwest 75th Street, Miami-Dade Police said.

Two FDLE agents visited the scene Thursday, using rakes to look for clues.

According to police, three officers who were on routine patrol on bicycles were dispatched to the area in response to a call of shots fired.

When the officers arrived, they got into a confrontation with Barkley, who was shot and killed. Police said they recovered a firearm, a Cobray M-11, which they describe as an assault weapon.

None of the officers were injured.

Witness Caroline Pinson said she saw the whole shooting unfold.

"All of a sudden you hear them say 'put your hands up in the air' and you hear all this shooting, bap, bap, bap, that's crazy," she said.

Pinson said she saw the suspect firing the gun in the air and saw him running when officers arrived. Other witnesses saw Barkley race down the street then behind a house.

"I came outside, I seen him hit the corner, and I saw about seven officers behind him, running, before he get to the yard, they scream out 'he got a gun,'" Kip Hall said.

In this climate of deadly police shootings, many wonder why officers don't aim for a suspect's arm or leg. Police union officials said officers shoot to kill.

"If they are shooting at a subject they need to take that threat down and the only way to take that threat down is to shoot in a place where unfortunately, to kill," said Blanca Torrents, with the Miami-Dade PBA.

The FDLE will continue to investigate the shooting.

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