A Miami Beach traffic stop led to a FHP pursuit on I-95 and State Road 836, ending with a PIT maneuver, two men arrested and a firearm recovered.
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A traffic stop in Miami Beach turned into a Florida Highway Patrol chase that ended with a controversial PIT maneuver and two men cuffed on Friday night, authorities say.
Miami Beach police officers tried to stop a blue Mercedes SUV around 8 p.m. near Ocean Drive and Ninth Street, but the driver fled and went west on State Road 836, according to the FHP.
FHP troopers intercepted the car on I-95 and pursued him. The driver exited onto Northwest 119th Street where he then crashed into a car but drove away.
Troopers then executed a PIT maneuver on the SUV on Northwest Seventh Avenue near 129th Street, according to FHP. In a PIT maneuver, or Precision Immobilization Technique, an officer pushes the rear corner of a fleeing vehicle so that it will spin out of control and the chase will end.
The maneuver is controversial and some police departments and sheriff’s office ban them due to the risk of injury or death. In a police chase in February in Broward County, an FHP trooper conducted a PIT maneuver, which killed a 74-year old woman who had moved to the shoulder of Florida’s Turnpike when she saw the police pursuit. The trooper’s PIT maneuver resulted in the car which he was chasing slamming into her car.
Read More: Innocent victim of police chase had pulled over to get out of the way, records show
Two men were taken into custody in the Friday night crash and troopers say a firearm was found.
The incident remains under investigation.
This story may be updated as more information becomes available.
Miami Herald
Milena Malaver covers crime and breaking news for the Miami Herald. She was born and raised in Miami-Dade and is a graduate of Florida International University. She joined the Herald shortly after graduating.