The Miami-Dade Police detective critically injured after a shooting that left a suspect dead has been identified as a five-year veteran of the department.
Det. Cesar Echaverry was fighting for his life Tuesday after he was shot in the head Monday night.
"We stand together praying for him and we will not quit," Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez said at a news conference Tuesday evening.
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Ramirez said Echaverry's parents were with him at the hospital, along with other family members.
"There's a mom and dad right now suffering," Ramirez said. "Our officers are hurting real bad."
Echaverry, 29, is a member of Miami-Dade Police's Robbery Intervention Detail, a squad that works in areas that are prone to crime and frequently encounters dangerous suspects.
Local
RID detectives were in the area of Northwest 62nd Street and 17th Avenue Monday night when they spotted a white sedan that had been involved in an earlier armed robbery in Broward County.
The driver of the sedan tried to flee, hitting detectives' vehicles and a civilian vehicle while trying to escape, Miami-Dade Police officials said.
The vehicle pursuit ended but a foot pursuit ensued, before there was a confrontation and shots were fired, Ramirez said. Echaverry and the suspect were both shot, officials said.
Echaverry was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center where dozens of officers gathered to pray for his recovery.
The suspect, identified as Jeremy Horton, was killed at the scene.
Records showed Horton, of Georgia, had a lengthy criminal history including an arrest on charges of domestic violence in 2012.
Sources said Horton was in town staying at an Extended Stay America hotel in Miami Springs.
The armed robbery that started the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. Monday at a gas station in the 400 block of East Dania Beach Boulevard, Broward Sheriff's Office officials said.
Deputies responded and met with a victim who said he'd been robbed at gunpoint by two men who fled in a white vehicle.
Detectives were able to get the license plate of the suspects' car and released a "Be On The Lookout" for the car to Miami-Dade Police, officials said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating, which is customary in police-involved shootings.
