An argument escalated to an officer shooting a man blocks from Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. The man and an officer were hospitalized.
Milena Malaver
mmalaver@miamiherald.com
Hours before the Ultra Music Festival was set to resume on Saturday, a large police scene formed in downtown Miami after an officer shot a man a few blocks from Bayfront Park.
Officers on Saturday morning were flagged down by someone in a hotel on Northeast Second Avenue and Second Street to report an “argument,” said Miami Police Chief Manny Morales.
“The argument escalated, and the individual turned this aggression towards officers,” Morales said.
Morales said that officers tased and pepper-sprayed the man but that it had “little to no effect.”
Ultimately, one of the officers shot the man who was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital with “non life-threatening” injuries, Morales said.
An injured officer was also hospitalized.
“We probably have 150,000 folks coming into the city of Miami,’ Morales said. “This is an anomaly that was not expected. Miami continues to be one of the safest places, and we have enough resources here around downtown and our eastern urban core to make sure that everybody can enjoy have a safe time.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating as the agency does with all shootings by police officers.
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.