Police officers shot and killed a suspect during a confrontation over a stolen car in southwest Miami-Dade Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Miami-Dade Police confirmed the shooting happened in the area of Southwest 182nd Avenue and 192nd Street, near Krome Avenue, around 3 p.m.
The incident began when a man told police he was aggressively confronted by two men who drove away with his car, officials said.
Miami-Dade Police's illegal dumping unit met with the victim for more info on the car, which led them to an area where they saw a car matching the description of the stolen vehicle with people inside.
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As officers were trying to make contact, a suspect shot at them, and an officer fired back, killing him. Footage from Chopper 6 showed a large police presence in a rural area and a yellow tarp covering a body at the scene. The windshield of the detective's vehicle had several bullet holes.
"When we see what we saw in that windshield, it's an eye opener and it's an awakening that these are the dangers that law enforcement not only here but across the world face," Miami-Dade Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.
Police detained one person and are trying to determine whether they were present during the confrontation or in the car during the shootout.
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Officials said two detectives with the illegal dumping unit were involved in the exchange of gunfire — one of them is a 24-year veteran and another is a 25-year veteran. No officers were hurt.
The suspect's identity was not released. Police said a firearm was recovered at the scene.
"We could've had an additional life lost and it could've been an officer," Zabaleta said. "Unfortunately we did lose one life here but we could've been knocking on an officer's family door, saying they're not coming back home."
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it is investigating the shooting, which is standard practice.
