A Doral Police officer who shot an armed robbery suspect during a chase and was involved in a separate road rage encounter won't face criminal charges in either incident, officials said.
Close-out memos issued last month by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said Det. Michael Acosta, who has been with the department since 2017, won't be charged in either case.
The chase and shooting involving Acosta happened on April 19, 2021, and began when Hialeah officers responded to a home on W. 20th Avenue for a fight but determined an armed robbery was in progress, one of the memos said.
A Mercedes sedan fled the scene and a police pursuit began. Inside the Mercedes were three suspects including Gabriel Rodriguez, who was in the back seat.
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The memo said Acosta was on duty in an unmarked car and joined the pursuit, which continued and later entered Broward County.
As it entered Broward, Hialeah officers disengaged but Miami-Dade Police and Acosta continued the pursuit.
When the chase ended in Broward, police discovered Rodriguez had been shot in his ankle and neck. He was treated and released but refused to give a statement.
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None of the other officers reported hearing any shots fired and no other officers fired their weapons during the chase, the memo said.
But the other two other suspects told investigators that the shooting had happened in Miami-Dade as the chase was on the Palmetto Expressway.
Investigators later identified Acosta as taking part in the chase and ballistics showed the shots that hit Rodriguez had been fired by Acosta, the memo said.
Acosta had never announced his presence on the radio and never radioed in that he had opened fire, the memo said.
The memo said two firearms were found in the Mercedes.
In not pursuing criminal charges, the state attorney's office cited a Florida law that says a law enforcement officer doesn't have to retreat from efforts to make a lawful arrest and says the officer is justified in the use of any force while arresting fleeing felons.
"The investigation has determined that the officer was legally justified in the use of deadly force by firing his weapon. Therefore, no criminal charges will be filed," the memo said.
The state attorney's office also said Acosta won't face charges in a separate road rage incident.
Acosta had been in an unmarked police car with police lights when he cut off another man, the memo said.
Acosta got out of his car with his handgun out of his holster and confronted the other driver, then told him to get back in his truck and closed the door on him, the memo said.
The other driver took a photo of Acosta's vehicle and license plate and reported the incident.
When the other driver was interviewed he said he wasn't in fear and believed Acosta was a police impersonator, so that's why he reported him.
"Since the essential element of fear could not be proved, the criminal case is closed," the memo said. "The matter will be referred to the City of Doral Police Department."
Doral Police officials said Thursday that Acosta is still relieved of duty while the department conducts their own internal investigation.
